Zephyr
by ewokling
Summary: Kazane should not have been reborn into the body of a half-demon. She should not have retained her memories from her previous life. And she most certainly should not have been reborn into a world that, for all intents and purposes, was fictional. Rated M for language and adult themes. SI(ish) OC. HieixOC.
1. Sod in the Seed

Jin took a large bite off his skewered fish, watching the diminutive girl once again as he had for the past two weeks.

Remaining in one place felt stagnant to him, and he had been gone from home for a couple years. Brawling, wandering, camping under the red sky. The usual. He knew the girl had been born shortly before he left, but he hadn't paid much thought to her until he had finally returned.

It was easy to stealthily watch her day-to-day chores; concealing his spirit energy and watching from up past the trees. She would be awoken at the crack of dawn, quickly bathe (if you could call splashing water on your face bathing), and then begin the backbreaking work Jin's father, Rannon, assigned. Most often it was moving firewood, breaking down boulders for building materials, or bringing food to Rannon. Peasant work, fitting for a half-demon.

Jin wasn't unaware of the bruises and injuries she sustained at Rannon's hand, or his cronies for that matter. The girl was essentially a glorified punching bag.

She had the trademark red hair and blue eyes, but was significantly less impish than Jin or Rannon, and her rounded ears screamed half-breed. What Jin found most interesting, however, were her mannerisms.

Her ocean eyes were a mirror of his own, but they were entirely too watchful, even for one with demon blood. Even as she was completing her grueling tasks she was carefully studying her surroundings, the other slaves, and Rannon himself. Though she never said a word or cried out Jin had a hunch she was more aware of everything than she should have been.

Jin watched as she trudged back to her dilapidated shack, bare feet broken and dark from the dirt, her hair in an even worse state than his usually was. The crimson sky was finally dimming as the day ended, and the girl crawled into her burlap sleeping sack.

Jin decided it was finally time to make his appearance.

He gracefully whisked down to the ground, brushing nonexistent dirt off his tunic and gently opening the door.

The girl started, immediately backing up against the wall and grabbing a fist-sized rock in her hand. Upon seeing Jin her eyes lit up in recognition, but she didn't put down her emergency weapon.

"Aye, I reckon you recognize yer brother then," Jin chirped happily, giving her a wide smile. "Ye got good reflexes, that you do, but I'd prefer if ye didn't clobber me with that rock ye got there."

The girl glanced at the rock before gently setting it next to her, eyeing the taller redhead warily.

The shack itself was a mess, but as Jin looked around he noticed various bits and bobs scattered throughout in various places; scraps of cloth, rusted and damaged blades from weapons, and food. His father would have a conniption fit if he saw the items she had been hoarding, regardless of their lack of value.

"This is no place for a young lady like yerself," He continued, amused at the intensity with which she gazed at him. "Muckin' around in the dirt an' sleepin' in burlap, no this won't do." He shook his head.

Seeing the girl's eyes widen with a shred of hope filled Jin with something warm, and he crouched down in front of her.

"Hows about we jetty on out of here, you and me? The sight of yer downcast face makes me mouth frown."

For the first time in the two weeks Jin had watched the girl she smiled, and he responded in kind, offering her his hand. He marveled at how small hers felt in his grasp, and was once again amazed at how light she was as he hefted her onto his back. With an astounding amount of force he pushed off the ground, airborne and heading away from his father's property. The girl giggled in his ear at the elation of flying, and he grinned even wider.

"Yer laugh is like bells, lass! Aye, keep it comin', it's a wondrous sound."

After an hour of travel the girl finally succumbed to sleep, her arms loosely wrapped around his neck. Jin hadn't really been planning to run off with his half-sister, knowing his father wouldn't take too kindly to a misappropriation of property, but he wasn't exactly one for following the rules and it seemed a waste to let her wither away in that shack.

He gently dropped to the ground once more, setting the girl against a tree and taking the time to prepare a small camp. Plans loosely came to mind, and he pondered over them as he started a small fire. Demon world wasn't safe for half-breeds, and he had no colleagues to leave her with. Her only chance at survival was the human world.

The girl stirred lightly, and Jin beamed at her as he handed her a hunk of bread. She gently took it from his hand and then proceeded to devour it in seconds, earning a chuckle from the wind demon.

"Lass like you has a right to a name, y'know," He said gently. "Ye got one?"

She shook her head, eyes trailing towards the ground. Jin frowned.

"Aye, that won't do at all!" He was quiet for a moment, looking into the fire as he concentrated. "I gotcha!" He exclaimed, snapping his fingers excitedly. "Yeh've got a laugh as pretty as the wind rustlin' through the mighty leaves, ye do. So Kazane it is!"

"Kazane..."

"At last, she speaks!" He beamed, inwardly relieved that she wasn't mute. He shouldn't have been so surprised; slaves were essentially forbidden to speak to anyone their superior, which was, well, everyone.

Jin passed the time by maneuvering leaves in intricate patterns in the air for her until Kazane finally dozed off against the tree, a small smile on her face.

Family bonds weren't a thing in the demon world, and even alliances were based on power dynamics and personal agendas as opposed to actual feelings of camaraderie. But, well, Jin had always been a weird one then, and he supposed this situation was no different.

* * *

The journey to the Forest of Fools was a multi-day trek, even with Jin's advantage of flying through the air. During the day Jin would tell Kazane jokes and do tricks to elicit laughter from the girl, at night he would teach her basic martial arts skills and try to hone her wind abilities she inherited from their father. Though she would never be as strong as Jin due to her human lineage she still had a natural affinity for it, and Jin was determined to nurture it as much as he could with what little time he had with her.

She had managed to control the wind enough to make leaves dance how she chose, but she was still a long shot away from flying or even floating for that matter.

"Yer a natural Kaz, yeh take to wind like a bird takes to the sky!"

Jin was growing fond of the small girl at his side, yet that only bolstered his resolve to get her to the human world and away from the threat of other demons.

"Jin," The girl said softly, clinging tighter to his back. "Thank you."

"Fer what might I ask?" He replied innocently. He felt her sigh against his neck, and the sound was entirely too tired for someone of her age.

"I was ready to give up...on everything. I think in a sense I did. If you hadn't come back I don't know what would have happened."

Jin felt the consequences were obvious; either Kazane would die at their father's hand or Rannon would find her no doubt hanging in her shack. It wasn't uncommon for slaves kept by demons to commit suicide rather than a life of servitude.

Instead of responding verbally Jin reached back and ruffled Kazane's hair, the warm feeling once again returning to his chest.

"We'll be at the barrier in no time, we will. Dont'cha worry, we'll get ye nice and safe, proper."

A beat of silence passed before Kazane spoke again. "I want to stay with you."

Jin let out a melancholy chuckle. "I know ye do lass but it's not safe, and I'm not rightly sittin' back and watchin' ye get clobbered here, my old conscience couldn't handle it."

A sad silence settled over the pair for the rest of the trip, and before long the forest grew less dense, the foliage receding as the barrier came into view. Jin could hear it crackling as he eyed the many strings crossing the opening. He gently floated to the ground, setting Kazane down next to him as he eyed the barrier warily.

"I can't come with ye Kaz," He said softly, placing his hands on her shoulders. "But sure as the sky is red I'll see ye again, I promise."

As Kazane stared forlornly at the ground Jin picked up a familiar spirit energy heading closer to them, and he hastily shielded the girl behind him.

A figure with bulging muscles and red hair pushed forward through the trees, followed by a cluster of other demons, all sneering. Jin felt Kazane stiffen in fear at the sight, and he glared at the patriarch in front of him.

"Jin, how dare ye take what's rightfully mine." Rannon's voice was deep, contrasting his accent greatly.

"Kaz, ye need to get your little self out of here," Jin hissed at the girl, pushing her closer to the barrier.

"B-But-"

"Go!" He yelled, sending a gust of wind right at her and pushing her forcefully across the barrier.

"Jin!" She screamed, but she was quickly too far away for the wind demon to hear her cries.

Jin sighed in relief as his sister sailed through the air and into the human world, turning back to face his father, brows knit together in a determined expression. She was safe; Rannon couldn't cross the barrier with his abilities, and Jin had succeeded in his goal.

He would see her again. One day.

"Right then, I've been waitin' a long time for this ye bastard."

* * *

**Note:**

**Sorry this is short, but next chapter (and most of the rest of the fic) takes place in Kazane's point of view, and I find it very jarring to go from Jin to Kazane lmao.**

**Jin is hard to write in character, but fun to type out his accent.**


	2. Thirteen on High

Kazane should have been dead.

Not from the fall into the human world, and not from her years performing slave labor for Rannon. She should have been dead before she had come into this world. She should be drifting contentedly in nothingness. Or in Hell. Heaven. Whatever.

She should not have been reborn into the body of a half-demon. She should not have retained her memories from her previous life. And she most certainly should not have been reborn into a world that, for all intents and purposes, was fictional.

Groaning, she lifted her body off the grassy knoll she had landed upon, cursing every God imaginable for her current situation.

She had meant it when she told Jin she had been on the verge of giving up; what point was it being reborn into another world if your new life was one of clear torture? In her mind it was simple: she would send a big 'fuck you' to Rannon, tie a noose, and hop through reincarnation into another inevitable mess. As far as she knew (and truthfully that wasn't much) she could continue this ridiculous cycle until she found a world that suited her, or just maybe return to her world, albeit in a different body and probably a different time.

Kazane never foresaw a chipper Irish demon.

At the thought of Jin her heart sank into her stomach, and she felt the tang of bile rise up to her throat. Jin was locked in a fight against their father and who knew how many other demon lackeys. He could get hurt, he could...

She shook her head. Jin was strong. He would be fine.

The sun was beginning to set, and a smattering of stars had started to make themselves known in the purple sky. Kazane breathed in deeply, appreciating the air on Earth as opposed to the stagnant, almost venomous air in the demon world she had just left. The difference between the two realms truly was night and day, and Kazane thankfully tried to put the lingering image of red skies out of her head.

The more pressing problem at hand was that she had absolutely no clue where the hell she was.

She was a half-demon, she looked biologically seven years old, and she was lost in the middle of the woods in God knows where wearing nothing more than scraps of cloth draped over her.

With a sigh Kazane tried to wrap her 'clothing' tighter around herself and began walking, the evening chill starting to creep in. Lucky it was summer at least, she could have been dropped here in the middle of winter and frozen to death. Could demons even get frostbite? Something to think about later.

The forest she was in seemed to stretch out forever, and she soon realized the terrain was rather hillid, almost akin to a national park. Her sense of direction had never been great, even in her past life, and with each identical-looking tree and landmark she passed she grew increasingly more irritable.

"Dammit Jin, you couldn't have at least figured out where you were dropping me?" She hissed into the darkness, keeping her eyes peeled for any potential threats.

As if on cue Kazane felt an itch on the back of her neck, and she paused. She couldn't sense anything, but it was unmistakable that something or someone was watching her. She resisted the urge to call out, biting her lip in anxious anticipation.

"Quite ballsy of a demon to wander onto my property without permission."

The low, raspy voice rang a bell in Kazane's memory, and she turned to find the silhouette of a familiar old woman facing her a few yards away. A cigarette illuminated her face dimly, and slowly she walked toward Kazane, shoulders tensed.

"State your business."

Kazane's head spun. What was she even supposed to say? _"Oh yes hello I'm just your average half-breed dropping in from demon world with no clue what I'm doing. Also I've actually been reincarnated from a completely different world, nice to meet you!"_ Yeah, that would go over really fucking well.

Instead, what came out of her mouth was a simple: "I'm lost."

"That's obvious," The woman replied, voice dripping with sarcasm. She finally approached enough to thoroughly inspect Kazane, and she did a complete rotation around her before coming to a stop once again in front of her face. "Well...only half demon."

A few minutes passed in silence, but it could have been eternity for all Kazane cared. The old woman finally nodded to herself before turning around back the way she came.

"Follow me."

Kazane did as she was told, her heart pounding in her chest. Of all the people she could have possibly run into, and of all the places Jin could have possibly dropped her. On one hand she was relieved; someone (relatively) familiar. On the other hand she was terrified; Genkai was powerful, and Kazane knew one wrong move and she wouldn't hesitate to get rid of her, half human or not.

She must not have been too far from the temple after all, for it only took a few minutes to reach the large structure nestled against the forest. Kazane shivered.

"What's your name?"

"Kazane."

"How did you get here, Kazane?"

"My brother threw me across the barrier. He said half-breeds weren't safe in demon world."

"He was right." Genkai turned back to face the redhead as they approached the stone porch, flicking her cigarette onto the ground. "Although I'm afraid they're not very safe here, either, depending on who finds them."

Kazane swallowed past the lump in her throat, fearing her heartbeats were numbered. She wanted to believe that Genkai wouldn't just blast her out of existence, but the logical part of her brain screamed at her to acknowledge the situation she was in.

The dim light from the porch illuminated Genkai's dusty bubblegum locks, and the old woman smiled.

"Lucky for you I don't really give a damn."

The relief Kazane felt was almost palpable, and she slowly relaxed her muscles.

"Can I bum a cigarette?"

The cloying smoke still clung to Genkai's clothes, and with every breath Kazane took in she could smell the tobacco. Her new body had never smoked but the scent alone was enough to remind her of how much she truly missed those cancer sticks.

Genkai's expression turned into one of utmost confusion before she let out a sharp laugh, bending over at the exuberance of it. She slowly withdrew the pack and tossed one at the girl, a pack of matches not far behind.

_Hell yes_, Kazane thought to herself, taking a long pull before coughing and sputtering. She should have expected as much honestly. Her pure virgin lungs had never been tainted with tobacco, and the newfound nicotine entering into her system made her lightheaded. Genkai's eyes never left her, a glimmer of amusement visible in her orbs, but though Kazane smoked the cigarette like the veteran she was (or used to be, rather) she said nothing about it.

"My name is Genkai, and I am a psychic," She began, easily catching the matches Kazane threw back at her. "You will address me as Master Genkai from this point on. The bath is inside, farthest room down on the right. You are the filthiest person I've ever seen. There is a room adjacent to it; after you clean yourself up you can rest there."

There was no room for debate in her stern voice, not that Kazane really would have in the first place. From what she could remember Genkai's temple was in the middle of virtually nowhere, and after trekking through the forest already she wasn't eager to walk a longer distance.

Kazane bowed at the waist towards the psychic, taking a last pull on the cigarette and flicking it away.

"Thank you, Master Genkai."

Wordlessly Genkai turned and started back into the temple, and Kazane trailed behind her trying not to feel too bad about the dirt she was getting on the polished wood floor. Not like she could really help it.

The outside didn't really do justice for what the inside looked like; modern appliances and well-crafted furniture. Everything was virtually spotless, not a speck of dust on any shelf or item. Genkai made a turn into a pleasant-looking kitchen, and Kazane took that as her cue to continue on to the bathroom.

Sliding the door closed behind her Kazane eagerly stripped off the disgusting cloth, her eyes scanning over the room. The floor and halfway up the wall was coated in opalescent tiling and the shelves along one side were adorned with fluffy white towels. In the middle stood a showerhead with a bathtub on either side towards the wall.

_I guess when you're as old as Genkai you can allow yourself some luxuries_, Kazane thought, eyebrows arching as she took in the amount of soaps adjacent to the towels.

With hesitant hands she reached out and turned the knobs on the shower, waiting until the water was near burning temperatures to step inside. A low moan echoed throughout the quiet room, and Kazane could have sworn this was the best feeling she had ever experienced. It had been literal years since she had showered, and the water quickly turned brown as the caked on dirt and blood washed away down the drain. Thankfully over the years her feet had built up callouses to the rough terrain of demon world, but the few open wounds she still sported stung under the hot water.

Kazane vigorously lathered shampoo into her mess of red locks. Honestly she was amazed it wasn't one huge dreadlock given its length and the fact she had only used to her fingertips to comb through it previously. She snorted at the thought of what a single giant dread would look like springing from her head. The smell of the jasmine soap filled the room as she cleansed her body and she finally relaxed, feeling like a ten ton weight had been lifted off her after the events of the last day.

When she finally finished she turned off the water and wrapped her body in a towel, slinging her hair up into another atop her head. Going through one of the closets in the room Kazane found a simple white robe a smidge too big for her; though in the body of a child Genkai was still barely a few inches taller than her.

The dim hallways of the temple seemed to breathe with something akin to spirit energy, and Kazane tentatively stepped out in search of the room Genkai had mentioned. She opened the sliding door to reveal a basic-looking guest room with a futon already laid out on the floor for her. A small grin spread across her lips as she turned off the light and slipped under the comforter, falling asleep almost instantly.

* * *

Grateful as she was for Genkai's hospitality Kazane still cursed the old woman's harsh work ethic.

The first few days at the temple passed by without too much incident, Genkai never announcing that Kazane had to depart, and Kazane never really thinking too hard about leaving her new home. In the morning Kazane would wake early and make tea and breakfast for the two of them, much to Genkai's silent surprise. She offhandedly remarked one morning that Kazane should have been a chef rather than a demon as she sipped her strong oolong, an empty plate that once rested an omelette whisked away into the sink by the redhead.

In the afternoons Kazane would venture out to the temple grounds, summoning her energy and going through the same movements Jin had taught her prior. She could direct leaves and small rocks with a flick of her wrist and she could use the force of wind to jump unrealistically high, but even after a week of attempt she still could not hover off the ground.

Having never had spirit energy in her old life she was made acutely aware of it in this new body; feeling the energy thrumming under the skin barely a few years after being born. She could call upon it easily, and the potential filled her with a sense of pride. She wouldn't be useless in this world. She abhorred the thought of another person acting as her bodyguard as Jin had; she wouldn't let that happen again.

Unfortunately for her she was still physically weak as a twig.

For all her control over her spirit energy she could not punch through boulders or whatever the hell other demons could, and her meager lessons in martial arts with Jin made her woefully incapable of taking on an opponent. Genkai made this obvious one afternoon, watching as the girl went through basic katas with a frown.

"Well this won't do," She announced, stepping down from the porch and marching across the grass to a good twelve feet in front of Kazane. "Try to hit me."

Kazane stood in awkward silence for a moment before Genkai yelled at her to attack, and she darted forwards, halfheartedly throwing out a few jabs. The older woman 'tsk'ed before sending a harsh jab to Kazane's shoulder and sending her flying feet away. She landed unceremoniously on her ass, groaning as she tried to regain her footing.

She had expected nothing less; trying hand-to-hand with Genkai was like a gnat trying to fight a dragon.

Memories of Genkai's strict training methods flashed through Kazane's mind, and her blood instantly went cold.

"Pathetic," Genkai hissed, motioning for Kazane to try once more. "We'll keep this up until you can at least block something."

By the end of the day Kazane's body was filled with bruises, and she listened to the psychic with half-lidded eyes as exhaustion washed over her.

"You'll never be a brawler," She explained. "But you have the capacity to be fast, and that will be your advantage. If an opponent cannot hit you then it renders their strength useless."

Kazane's fears were confirmed as the next months passed. Genkai and her would eat in the mornings, then they would spar until midday. The first time Genkai dropped her in with snakes she nearly wet herself, but thankfully that lasted only a few days. In an attempt to increase Kazane's speed Genkai would routinely chase after her and take shots with small orbs of spirit energy. Due to her young age and small body Kazane's reserves of spirit energy never lasted too long, but with each day that passed she could feel her control over it growing and she slowly learned how to use it in enough of a way that she didn't waste any while boosting her speed or controlling the trajectory of small objects.

After six months Genkai finally allowed Kazane into a small shack not far from the temple, something she had been curious about since she first arrived. Inside were handfuls of different weapons and tools, from nunchucks to well-crafted swords.

"Your ability to harness wind is a valuable power," Genkai explained as Kazane slowly stepped around the room, hand hovered over the many weapons. "With enough control you can sharpen and elongate the edge of swords and knives, and adding the force of wind behind the momentum will be enough that you can crush through bones and vital organs with more blunt weapons."

Several minutes passed before Kazane's hands found an ornate box off to the side and she opened it, eyes growing wide as she took in the two items nestled gently in the velour. Two beautiful fans, crafted from what was probably teak and emblazoned with gorgeous detailing in gold. She took them from their container and opened them sharply with a flick of her wrist, marveling and how well they fit in her small hands. They weren't much of a weapon on their own, but with her affinity for wind...

Ideas began racing through her head at lightning fast speed, and a grin spread across her face as she held them up to Genkai, who just sighed quietly.

"Fine, but you're also taking some daggers. I'll be damned if you can't even wield _some_ sort of blade."

Both the fans and the knives, it turned out, worked perfectly with her flexibility and agility. With the aid of the fans she could direct wind forcefully enough to push back Genkai slightly on the field, though she was sure the old bat was just humoring her. Their sparring continued with the knives, Genkai not remotely satisfied until the girl could dual-wield both with ambidextrous perfection. The psychic set up targets for Kazane to heft bladed projectiles at, and over time her accuracy grew to pinpoint precision, something that Kazane wondered at considering the clumsiness of her previous life. Her accuracy combined with the increased velocity from the wind caused the targets to burst apart pathetically upon impact.

For all the grief Genkai's training was subjecting her to Kazane could feel herself slowly becoming stronger, and she silently thanked whatever luck she possessed for having landed at the psychic's doorstep of all possible places.

Her timeline appeared to be on par with canon; Yusuke was not even in the picture it seemed, and so she had years before she would be faced with the events she was simultaneously dreading and looking forward to. The scent of lavender and fresh air invaded her memory, and she felt her thoughts returning once more to a chipper Irish-tongued demon as they so often did.

She would become stronger and she would join Yusuke's team to the Dark Tournament. She would fight and win. She would reunite with Jin, and after that...well, hell if she knew.

For the time being she would remain with Genkai, train, and hopefully worm her way into Yusuke's life without causing too much of a ruckus.

* * *

**Note: **

**After this chapter is a time-skip of a few years just to finally get on the same track as canon. My idea is that Kazane will (physically anyway) be two years older than Yusuke and Kuwabara, and in the anime they're about 14-15 near the start of the series, so Kazane will be around 17.**

**This is not an OCxJin story, for obvious reasons.**


	3. A Sky for Shoeing Horses Under

Kazane finished moving the hefty arcade game and sighed, lamenting the broken nail on her left hand with a glum face. She had spent a torturous amount of time getting them perfectly coated, and now the blunted and jarred end was impossible not to fidget with.

"That should be everything," Genkai called from her perch above the room; a precarious looking half-cage contraption that oversaw everything. "Now we have some tea. I don't care about keeping them waiting if they show early." She easily hopped down to the wooden floor and made herself comfortable.

"Yes, Master Genkai."

Kazane hopped over to where the psychic sat, opening the cloth-wrapped bundle and handing her a still-warm thermos of strong green tea. Try as she might, she couldn't quell the anxiety humming through her limbs as she sat lotus-style with the old woman.

"Why on Earth are you nervous, child?"

Kazane shrugged before responding. "I suppose I just haven't been around this many people in a long time."

Genkai 'hmmph'ed at her basic response, setting her attention to the large door where the voices were slowly growing in number.

The past decade had passed without much trouble and now that the plot had finally arrived Kazane was more than a little nervous that things were rolling into motion. One night, after a particularly difficult time recalling the events that would lead up to the Dark Tournament, she had stayed up for hours penning everything she could remember from her past life. Genkai had never actually gone through her room but Kazane wasn't taking any chances and so the sheets of paper were hidden safely inside an innocuous book on her bookshelf.

Going through puberty again had been as hellish as Kazane remembered, but she suffered through it as gracefully as she could manage. Even with her new hormones she lamented the fact that she hadn't grown much at all; slightly over a foot taller than Genkai. Her hair on the other hand trailed from where it hung in a ponytail down past her waist, and Kazane wrapped some strands around her finger, still not entirely used to the gorgeous, silky red. All in all, her skin was clear and she was considerably more attractive in this body than her old one. She was thankful that whatever genes she inherited didn't gift her with blue skin and a multitude of horns protruding from her head.

The news that Genkai was looking for a successor didn't come as much surprise to her. There seemed to be some unspoken understanding between the two of them that Kazane would not be it. She had no interest in it, and Genkai seemed to have no interest in teaching her techniques like the Spirit Wave. Perhaps it had to do with Kazane's much older mannerisms, or maybe Genkai sensed that she just didn't care about her techniques interesting as they were. If Genkai was at all unnerved with spending the last decade with a half-demon with a much-too-cemented personality for her young age then she didn't show it.

_She's probably seen way weirder things in her life_, Kazane surmised.

Although Genkai was obviously aged when the two had first met the last ten years had only served to increase the lines around her eyes and her dusty hair grew even more faded in the time that passed. There was no doubt she was still stupid powerful, but watching Genkai age firsthand had put into perspective just why exactly she was looking for a true successor.

"This isn't school so don't pretend like you're not a doofus!"

A familiar yell caused the hairs on the back of Kazane's neck to stand upright as she followed Genkai towards the large doors. The amount of voices on the other side was truly overwhelming, and as she stepped out alongside the psychic the combination of blinding sunlight and so many bodies caused her breakfast to roil uncomfortably in her stomach.

"My, my, quite a crowd," Genkai remarked, and Kazane dutifully stood beside her on the step, trying hard to ignore all the wide eyes analyzing them both.

The redhead set down the large, antique jar filled with papers as Genkai launched into her announcement, her blue eyes scanning the sea of people for a familiar pair of faces.

It took a moment, but she finally found the greased hairdo and brown eyes she was looking for. Yusuke stood nearest to the very edge of the group, a determined expression set onto his features as if he was about to fight everybody in the congregation himself. Kazane looked over Kuwabara next to him, her eyes running over his carrot-top head and prominent cheekbones. If seeing Genkai in real life wasn't enough of a shock for Kazane then seeing two other main characters sure as hell was. The heat of Yusuke's glare was such that she could honestly understand why so many demons were terrified of him. She repressed the urge to clench her jaw in anxiety.

As the many men (and she found it did irk her that there were only men here, funnily enough) lined up to claim their own piece of paper she caught the gaze of more than a few of them, no doubt trying to understand her role in Genkai's life. If they detected she wasn't human through and through they kept it to themselves.

Yusuke marched up and didn't spare her a second glance as he reached into the jar. Kuwabara on the other hand...

His eyes locked onto hers immediately and trepidation grew in Kazane's gut.

"You're holding up the line," She said irritably before Genkai could throw a disdainful remark his way.

"S-Sorry," Kuwabara muttered, his cheeks turning pink as he stepped away to where Yusuke stood.

"Let's all open our lots now. If the paper inside it is red," Genkai announced. "Then congratulations, you have passed the first of today's screenings."

Kazane didn't take her eyes off the pair of boys as they dutifully opened their envelopes to reveal crimson red paper.

"Those who won please follow me, those who lost please get lost."

Genkai turned to head back into the building, but Kazane stayed glued to her spot knowing what would likely happen next. A surge of protectiveness coursed through her as two large imbeciles made their way up behind the psychic, and she fixed a steely glare at the pair of them simultaneously holding an arm out between her guardian and the men. It wasn't that she wasn't aware that Genkai could easily defend herself from two buffoons, but the idea of her first real guardian being placed in harms way coursed irritation through her veins like nothing else.

"Hold on! We are the two most powerful fighters of all the Kyusho Mountain people."

"We've come all this way 'cause we've heard you could make us greater, you can't turn us away with a piece of paper."

"Do you not see how big we are? You have to give us a fair shot."

Rage bubbled under Kazane's skin, and she began reaching for the fans at her side, the wind swirling around the four ominously.

"The only difference with larger fighters is that they're louder when they whine," Genkai dismissed, unperturbed by the duo. "Can't you blockheads understand I'm just trying to save you from embarrassment? This probably goes way beyond your comprehension, boys, but please try to pay attention. If you're really ready for my training then why didn't your paper turn red?"

"I think she's asking us for more proof," The left one grumbled before launching himself at the tiny woman, who gracefully budged Kazane out of the way, a smirk on her face.

_I'll probably never get used to Genkai using the Spirit Wave_, the redhead thought with an outward sigh, taking in the sight of the psychic's glowing eyes as the two brutes were forcefully thrown backwards. She winced as the wood cracked behind them; the old bat would probably make Kazane fix that herself.

"My powers are getting a bit rusty," Genkai told the girl at her side. "A few years ago those oafs would have ducked their heads if I'd winked at them."

Kazane could attest to that.

She stubbed out her cigarette and headed along the side behind the woman, the red-papers following behind. She almost laughed as the crowd took in the sight of the many glowing arcade-style games that filled the large space.

Genkai proceeded to explain the machines, and Kazane began making her slow laps around the room as the crowd dispersed throughout it, keeping her eyes focused on the ones she knew would pass, especially the short monk dressed in blue.

Rando was obviously exemplary at deception; if she hadn't already known the quiet monk was him in disguise she never would have guessed. His spirit energy was perfectly concealed to the point where it was neigh inconsequential, and his scores on the machines were above average at best.

Kazane sidled up to where Yusuke was finishing up his song on the karaoke machine, and Kuwabara did a double take as she approached, his shoulders tightening. He strode over to her, and it was at that moment Kazane was made truly aware of just how short she was. He towered over her, saying nothing as a bead of sweat made its way down his pale skin.

_Why the fuck is he looking at me like that?_ She thought, shaped brows knitting together in confusion. _Maybe I have something on my face?_

A moment of tense silence passed as Yusuke got off the stage and made his way towards the pair, a similarly confused expression on his face. He looked back and forth between the two of them, finally nudging his friend in the ribs with an elbow.

"Kuwabara, what the hell? Stop staring at people, you're making me look bad."

His nudge did nothing to get the carrot-top's attention, and Kuwabara leaned in closer to Kazane.

"You..." He began ominously, and Kazane's fingers twitched towards her fans.

She really didn't want to blast his ass to the other side of the room, but if he didn't stop acting weird she would.

Suddenly the boy reached for her hand and held it in both of his, completely devouring her small palm, and a blush crept up his pale features.

"You are...so beautiful."

Yusuke nearly collapsed at his side, and Kazane let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding, her irritation once again bubbling to the surface. She snatched her hand back instantly, shooting the boy a venomous look.

"Not interested, carrot-top," She hissed before turning and walking back towards the other bodies in the room. From behind her he could hear Yusuke's cackles and Kuwabara's attempts to land a punch on his friend.

"Pathetically rejected once again, Kuwabara," Yusuke chuckled, doubled over. "She's funny."

Kazane didn't want to be mean to Kuwabara, especially considering they would be seeing some dangerous situations together if she had it her way, but more than that she didn't want him, or anyone really, touching her without her consent.

The thought of warning Genkai about Rando had crossed her mind for weeks before today had come around, but the gesture would have been a useless one. Genkai didn't particularly care who would inherit her abilities, and if Kazane made any attempt to change canon so early she had no idea what would happen. She wanted things to progress as naturally as possible to ensure her future at the Dark Tournament, there was nothing to be gained from announcing her knowledge when everything would work out. Hopefully.

The twenty who passed the arcade tests were paraded outside, and Genkai eyed the girl beside her as the two strolled in front.

"Many promising candidates this year," She said softly, and Kazane's eyes turned once more over to where Yusuke walked alongside Kuwabara.

"That joker is going to be your apprentice, I'm calling it now," She responded.

Instead of laughing like Kazane had assumed she would, Genkai merely let her eyes linger over the boy's greased dome, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

* * *

Kazane stared off into the trees from where she floated in lotus at the hilltop.

It had been over an hour and a half since Genkai had let everyone loose into the forest and the woman was staring down at her pocketwatch with a gleam of amusement in her eyes.

"They must be running into quite a bit of trouble."

"At least you're not making me retrieve the bodies," Kazane responded, causing the psychic to chuckle.

Their conversation was interrupted by Kuwabara charging up to the top of the hill, his face alight with surprise as he took in the lack of bodies around the two women.

"Well, hello boy," Genkai greeted, seemingly unsurprised.

"Am I really the first one here? Really?"

Kuwabara's victorious cries at Genkai's nod were cut short when he noticed Kazane floating in the air beside the old woman.

"Woah! Can you teach me to float too?"

Before Kazane could even so much as shake her head Genkai opened her mouth. "Her powers are not obtainable for you."

Kuwabara opened his mouth to protest but was cut short at the approach of two more men, both of whom stared first at Kuwabara with dismay and then at Kazane with guarded interest.

Over the course of the next fifteen minutes a few more joined the party, and eventually Genkai looked over at her redheaded companion with an amused expression.

"That greaseball isn't here yet," She said lightly, and Kazane shook her head.

"He'll get here," She said, her voice brimming with such surety that Genkai raised a brow. Kuwabara looked up as the two exchanged words and then raised a fist.

"Urameshi'll be here, you can count on it."

"Well I'm afraid the brat only has thirty seconds left," Genkai responded, glancing around at the bodies assembled near the tree. Her face looked over the pocket watch once more before closing it sharply and addressing the rest of the group. "Time's up. Only you seven have passed." Kuwabara made to protest but Genkai interrupted him. "Sorry, I never make exceptions."

Yusuke finally bound over the hilltop, his exclamations cutting out any response Kuwabara would have had at her words.

Kazane gently set her feet on the grass, looking over at Yusuke as he exchanged words with the pink-haired psychic.

There really was something about his energy that made her want to root for him despite the odds. Seeing it on a screen and seeing it now in real life were two completely different things, and Kazane couldn't help a smile grow on her face as she listened to Yusuke talk shit about the bat demon he had strung up in the forest moments go.

* * *

"Would you be so kind as to retrieve those dimwits before they're disqualified?"

Kazane took her eyes off the match at Genkai's scathing words, sighing lightly before heading out the door that the duo had left through minutes ago. The sunlight was as harsh as Genkai's words and she held up a hand over her eyes. The boys in question were on one end of the platform clustered in front of a certain familiar head of blue hair.

She eyed the group for a few moments before effectively shooting a gust of wind at them and interrupting Kuwabara's confession of love for Botan.

"Genkai will disqualify you if you don't get back in here now," Kazane warned, all heads turning at her words, and the trio ran into the building quickly.

"So what are you, like, Genkai's granddaughter?" Yusuke asked the redhead once they were all inside. "How come you're not the one learning her techniques?" He scowled as Kazane lit a cigarette in the darkness. "The resemblance is uncanny."

"I'm not," She answered simply, eyes turning to where Shorin/Rando was walking into the darkness with his opponent. "And I have no interest in them."

Yusuke tsk'ed, arms raised back behind his head. "Well, Kuwabara said you vouched for me earlier when I was stuck in that stupid forest, but I've got a girlfriend so don't you get any ideas!"

Kazane made a move to kick Yusuke's shin, and he dodged easily.

"I'm not interested in you, you idiot!" She bristled. "You remind me of someone, that's all."

"She's got a boyfriend," Kuwabara said dejectedly from Yusuke's other side, and the spirit detective gently pat him on the shoulder.

"There there, Kuwabara."

"You remind me of my brother," Kazane hissed, rubbing at her temples in an attempt to stifle the oncoming headache.

"Are you three quite finished?" Genkai spat, interrupting the conversation. "You're up," She pointed at Kuwabara, whose expression shifted from forlorn to determined as he stepped towards his opponent.

Kazane took the opportunity to grip the grim reaper by the sleeve of her jacket. "I'm sorry, miss, can I borrow you for a moment?"

Yusuke looked between the two women with an increasingly irritated expression. "Can't she be here if she wants to?"

The redhead looked behind her as the two ladies made their way to the door. "I never said she couldn't."

Once outside Botan's wide eyes centered on the petite girl at her side, and she fidgeted nervously with her fingers.

"I truly am sorry for coming unannounced, I promise I won't cause any trouble so-"

"You work for Koenma right?"

Kazane's question was enough to put a full stop to Botan's words, and the grim reaper eyed her strangely. "Yes, I do. My name is Botan. Er...how did you know that miss...eh?"

"My name is Kazane," The redhead responded, giving Botan a small smile. "I'm afraid it's not hard to recognize a grim reaper. Master Genkai has told me a good amount about Koenma." A little fib wouldn't hurt, would it? She couldn't very well say she had previous personal knowledge of the prince.

At her words Botan nearly deflated. "Gee, am I that obvious? But then why did you bring me out here to talk?"

Truthfully, Kazane didn't really plan this until a moment ago. Yanking Botan out for a conversation was an impulse move, and she ground the point of her ankle boot into the concrete as she thought carefully for her next words.

"Yusuke is employed by Koenma as well then." It was a statement, not a question, though Botan still nodded in response. "I'm trying to find my brother; we were separated years ago before Master Genkai took me in. I think Yusuke could help me find him, or better yet he'll run into him eventually. He could use some allies, right?" Kazane grinned at Botan's stunned expression. "Then please consider me an ally during any future predicament."

Understanding made Botan's eyes grow even wider. "You're a demon."

"Half demon," Kazane corrected, holding up a finger and pointing at her rounded ears. "I'm sorry to say."

Botan's perfectly plucked brows drew together as a determined expression washed over her features. "Kazane, I promise we will find your brother and reunite the two of you! Oh, Koenma will be so happy to hear Yusuke has a new friend."

'Friend' might be a little too much at the current point in time, but Kazane smiled back at the grim reaper and thanked her lucky stars that the blue-haired girl was so amicable.

As if to demonstrate her friendliness Botan grabbed Kazane's wrist and skipped back into the building just in time for all the remaining contestants to move on to the plot of land behind the temple.

* * *

**Note: Next chapter perhaps we'll finally meet our two favorite demons! Who knows? Well, I know. And Kazane is, yes.**

**Apologies for the skips, I just find it difficult to stay in one place while things are happening to Yusuke and other characters outside of Kazane. I hope that makes sense.**


	4. Do Me a Favour

Kazane awoke in the morning with a half-lived shriek in her throat and a half-forgotten night terror still lingering in her mind.

Try as she could to quell her anxiety, Kazane just couldn't get the image of Kuwabara's mangled body out of her head. Even as she laid on her plush futon the memory of Rando crushing his ribcage and stretching his limbs lingered in her mind. She had never been a fan of the way others would crack their bones when stretching but after the situation that unfolded it brought a whole new aversion to anything bone-like, though it had happened months ago and Kuwabara was long since healed by Genkai's hands.

_You let this happen_, a voice snarled in her head, not unlike her own. _You knew the pain. You should be better._

"Hey, Genkai said if you're still in bed in the next five minutes she'll come in here and kick your ass up herself."

Kazane's reverie was broken by a familiar spirit detective standing in the doorway to her room, his tanned face illuminated by the sunlight streaming through her window.

"Don't you know it's rude to enter a lady's room uninvited," She snapped, sure that the spirit detective had used some liberties to relay Genkai's message. Or maybe not. She could never really tell with the old psychic. She half-heartedly threw a pillow at him. "Maybe I was doing something you weren't meant to see."

Yusuke's expression was priceless. "Girls don't...well it's not my fault the door doesn't lock. Tell the old lady to make some renovations then!"

Kazane's words had the desired effect as a pink flush crept up the boy's cheeks and he slid the door shut forcefully, leaving her with a much more tranquil surrounding.

The past six months were a blur, but watching Yusuke go through an even more rigorous training regiment than she had was something she wasn't soon to forget. The loudmouth had bolstered his powers considerably, and truth be told Kazane was a little sour at the sight of his improvement, something that had taken her literal years.

_That's why he's the main character,_ she groaned inwardly, shrugging a soft shirt over her head and running a hand through her messy locks. _Adversity and all that jazz._

Eating meals and living alongside the detective was uncomfortable at first, especially since Kazane hadn't spent much time in this life with men, only Genkai. Whereas Genkai was a quieter intimidating force, Yusuke was loud and domineering. He was sarcastic, he was brash, and he had no reservations sharing his thoughts on anything, whether it be the training or Kazane's food.

In the beginning Genkai had worked Yusuke to the bone herself, letting Kazane watch from a distance or continue her own alone. For days the redhead watched as Yusuke balanced himself upright on the end of a lethal spike, his spirit energy glowing an immaculate blue, or laboriously making his way up the cliff face, weights chained around his ankles. The boy was exhausted nearly all the time, and Kazane was sure if she didn't wake him up at the asscrack of dawn he would've slept through the entire day.

After a month and a half Genkai finally asked Kazane to spar with Yusuke, setting them both up some feet away and barking at them whenever a move wasn't up to her standards. It had been awkward at first, Kazane only having sparred with the psychic, but soon she felt comfortable and liberated, her feet darting around the area of the detective as fast as she could manage. It had been days before Yusuke could land a blow on her figure, but when he did, it fucking _hurt_. She was silently grateful the boy never aimed a punch at her face, fearing what the bruising would do to her features. She had been knocked back a good distance, Yusuke growing concerned and yelling over at her prone figure to make sure Kazane was alright. The redhead responded with a single thumbs-up.

He told her about his school, his stupid teachers, shared stories of Kuwabara and his girlfriend Keiko, grimacing as he recounted the deadly slap the girl possessed. He recounted his meeting with Kurama and Hiei, complaining loudly about taking orders from a glorified toddler, Koenma. Without too much of a push he told her about his death and subsequent resurrection, lamenting how a spirit couldn't physically touch anything in the human world. At his retelling something stirred in Kazane's gut, and she looked over at the greaser beside her.

Souls were a very real, very observable thing in this realm. She wanted to know how exactly her own had wormed its way into this universe without going noticed by spirit world.

Her previous worry at her current situation being a fever dream dissipated over the years. She had died, and while there was probably lasting trauma done to her psyche she was sure that whatever scenario her brain could come up with wouldn't have been capable of the level of detail displayed here. For better or worse, everything was real. She was real.

The strange trio shared a breakfast of rice, rolled omelets and pickled vegetables in silence, save for a few jabs between Kazane and the spirit detective.

"Don't pick the vegetables out, you twerp."

"Don't tell me what to do you redheaded freak."

To any outside figure the two appeared to despise each others presence, but over the course of Yusuke's training the pair had fallen into a comfortable routine that was not unlike sibling banter. Kazane appreciated this; Genkai was much too old to bicker with and it had been so long since she had someone with a similar personality to talk to that the new company was actually enjoyable.

Did generational gaps even apply at this point, in this weird of a situation?

Regardless, Kazane's words at the detective upon their first meeting came back to her, and she found herself realizing that although Yusuke and Jin were similar in their mindset of brawls and enjoyable fights, Jin truly was a more optimistic person. Yusuke spoke in a much more sarcastic and crude manner, closer to Kazane's natural way of talking.

She had been brainstorming ways to bring up the subject of going back to the city with Yusuke over the past week, but try as she might she couldn't come up with a valid, naturally-occurring reason for her to tag along with the boy. She ran over each scenario in her head as they ate, but each prospect sounded weaker and weaker in her mind, and eventually she gave in to the idea that she would remain at Genkai's until further notice.

Kazane quickly cleared the table, eyeing Yusuke's duffle bag. "You gonna miss the snakes?"

The boy did a double take. "Hell no, that hag is crazy. I don't know how you grew up here and survived."

"It takes a certain constitution," Kazane laughed, and the two of them departed for the bus station.

There was a comfortable silence for most of the walk until Yusuke finally spoke.

"I guess I won't be seeing you for a while, huh?"

A smirk played at the corner of Kazane's lips. "I don't know, you seem to get yourself into enough trouble. I might have to bail you out of it someday."

Brown eyes rolled at her response. "In your dreams. Although," He paused as the large metal behemoth sputtered to a stop next to the sign. "I guess my training would have been worse if you weren't there to joke around with. Your cooking's a lot better than my mom's."

It was as close to a 'you're not half bad' that Yusuke could manage, and Kazane beamed in response, waving as the detective stepped onto the bus.

The heat of summer still hadn't yet dissipated, and Kazane relished in it for a moment longer. Heat she could deal with, cold on the other hand was another matter entirely. It seemed even in this body she was sensitive to it. Making her way back to Genkai's she mulled over whether something from one dimension could even cross over to another. Was her world and this one different dimensions even? Calling them worlds was confusing with the existence of spirit world and demon world. Oh well, fuck it; trying to analyze everything was giving her a headache.

Humming the Black Lip's Bad Kids quietly she made her way back to the temple with thoughts of today's practices in her mind.

The moment of tranquility did not last long as she was nearly run over by something airborne coming out of virtually nowhere.

"What the hell," Kazane snarled, head whipping around to see familiar blue tendrils swaying in the light breeze.

"Oh my goodness, Kazane I'm so sorry I didn't realize I was going so fast!"

Kazane sighed at the grim reaper before her, placing a hand on her hip. "They should issue license to operate those things." She deftly pointed to the oar.

"My, don't tell me Yusuke's rubbing off on you!" Botan giggled, and Kazane's eyes widened in surprise.

"Speaking of Yusuke you actually just missed him. He's on the bus back to Tokyo now."

Botan waved a hand at the girl's words. "I'm not here for him, silly, I'm here for _you." _Kazane's expression must have been priceless because Botan continued with a frown on her pretty face. "I'll catch up with him later; there's a situation that I need your help with."

This was what Kazane had been waiting for: an opportunity to get involved. If her recollection of the timeline was correct then this was the beginning of the Maze Castle arc, and it was a prime opportunity to meet Kurama and Hiei and stake her place for the future.

"You did say you would offer your assistance," Botan reminded her uncertainly, her words cutting through Kazane's thoughts.

"Yes!" She responded, nearly leaping with joy. "Yes, I did, and I meant it. What's going on?"

Botan pat a spot on the oar behind her seat, and Kazane paled. "We can talk and fly, I need to get you to spirit world. Koenma's waiting for us."

With hesitant hands Kazane sat behind the grim reaper, trying to push down her anxiety as she prepared for liftoff.

Hovering and flying by herself was one thing, but a guest ride on someone else's vehicle was not something she signed up for.

"Okay, well just go slOW-" Her words died in her throat as Botan shot off the ground at breakneck speed.

She briefly wondered what Genkai would think when she didn't return to the temple.

* * *

Kazane had been prepared for a toddler. She had not been prepared for an older teenage boy with 'JR' tattooed onto his forehead.

Koenma was tall in this form, even by normal standards.

Beside her Botan looked entirely done with the situation.

"It's nice to finally meet your acquaintance," Koenma said eloquently. "I am Koenma, prince of the spirit world."

Kazane was so caught off guard she almost forgot to respond, and she immediately ducked into a bow. "The pleasure's all mine. I'm Kazane."

Botan frowned at her boss. "Koenma, sir, I've already briefed Kazane on the mission so we just need to get her to the demon world."

"Oh, of course." Was Koenma's tone one of disappointment? "Well, introduce her to the rest of the group. It is of the utmost importance that we reclaim the flute as quickly as possible."

"Of course," Kazane responded, trying not to display any of her latent anxiety. She gave Koenma one more bow before turning and following Botan over to a portal on the other side of the room, giving the blue-haired girl a hesitant look.

"I have to go brief Yusuke so I'm afraid I can't join you, but Hiei and Kurama are both waiting on the other side in Demon City."

"Right," Kazane replied quietly, and Botan beamed at her.

"You'll be fine, Kurama is a gentleman. I'll see you soon!"

As Kazane stepped through the portal she realized belatedly that Botan hadn't said anything about Hiei and she grit her teeth, her pulse skyrocketing as the familiar atmosphere of demon world enveloped her.

It had been so long since she had seen the crimson skies but she still shivered at the sight. The air felt like a miasma, and for one brief moment panic rose up her throat. She didn't want to be back here, she didn't want to think about her earlier years, she couldn't fucking breathe-

"Ah, you must be Kazane."

A voice as smooth as silk swiftly cut through her panic, and Kazane turned.

Kurama truly was beautiful. His red hair, not unlike her own, trailed down his back in a way that was somehow both unkempt and graceful at the same time. His skin was as pale and unblemished as porcelain, and Kazane could feel herself getting lost in the depths of his emerald eyes.

It took an embarrassingly long time to reply, but with a start she gave a small bow. "Yes, it's a pleasure to meet you. I take it you're Kurama?"

"Yes, and this is Hiei."

As Kazane's blue eyes locked with Hiei's own she felt a shiver of trepidation course through her spine.

The ruby orbs alone seemed to convey his desire to raze everything to the ground, as if his entire demeanor wasn't enough of a guess. He was, surprisingly, a full inch taller than Kazane, and even for his short stature he seemed to tower over her. Hiei glared soundlessly, hands in his pockets, before turning away to stare at the stone structure some hundreds of feet away.

"You are a welcome addition to the team," Kurama cut in helpfully, trying to diminish some of the tension in the air, and Kazane turned her head to reply but was cut off by a brusque voice.

"And some team we will be; two demons, two humans...and an _embarrassment_."

_Oh, fuck you asshole_, Kazane thought, unbridled rage simmering in her blood. The wind stirred around them uneasily as if to make her fury even more known.

And to think he had once been her favorite.

The moment was interrupted by a chorus of yells not far away, and the trio looked to find dozens of low-level demons piling onto two figures.

"I suppose that's our cue," Kurama said, and the three of them dashed forward to the spirit detective's aid.

Kazane flicked open her fans, sending a forceful gust towards the demons skirting around Yusuke and Kuwabara as light radiated from Hiei and Kurama, effectively scaring off the remaining few.

"It seems you could use some help," Kurama called.

"If those nothings were too much for you we're going to have some serious trouble," Hiei added.

Kazane said nothing, simply stepping further into view as Yusuke's brown eyes widened in surprise. She shot him a reassuring smile.

"Well, well, well, the thieves. And Kazane too, huh? Guess you were right about not seeing you for too long. What are you three doing here?"

"Even that fool Koenma knew it would take more than human power to kill the saint beasts," Hiei explained, and though his eyes were guarded Kazane could detect a glimmer of amusement in them.

"By aiding in this mission Koenma has assured us we can clean our slates in spirit world," Kurama finished, his lips twitching upward.

Yusuke chuckled. "I guess Koenma heard me complaining. But what about you?" He turned towards where Kazane stood.

She felt tremendously uncomfortable in the current situation, even though her friendship with Yusuke had solidified over the past six months and Kurama truly was a perfect gentleman as Botan had reassured her, even being in Hiei's presence caused Kazane to bristle with irritation.

"Botan asked and I said sure," She replied simply, avoiding the short demon nearest to her with all her might. "I told you I'd bail you out of whatever trouble you'd get your dumb ass into."

Yusuke laughed once more before introducing Kuwabara to the demon pair before them, and Kazane's hand twitched at her side as Hiei spoke up against the ginger's words.

"Helping is not the right word," He said harshly. "Koenma may regard us as equals but I do not. Once inside the castle I suggest you let us do the work. As far as I'm concerned Kurama and I are babysitting."

Kurama let out an amused laugh at his words, and before Kuwabara could fire back an angry response Kazane cut in, her irritation finally getting the better of her.

"Ah yes, babysitting the human who kicked your ass so many months ago," She hissed, crossing her arms and glaring at the ruby-eyed demon.

Yusuke grimaced. "Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned that to you," He muttered quietly.

The tension was palpable, and Hiei seemed to be trying to burn a hole through her with just his glare. Kazane responded in kind, tilting her chin in an act of blatant defiance. She was determined to stick around for the long haul, regardless of whether Hiei gave a shit or not. He would just have to deal with her presence and expect retaliation to his holier-than-thou attitude.

"Don't worry, three-eyes, if we survive this I'll be glad to give you a rematch," Yusuke announced, effectively breaking the silence. Hiei merely 'hmmph'ed at his words, casting one more withering glare at the tiny redhead.

The group started their trek over the rocky terrain towards the castle, and Kurama gently tugged on Kazane's arm as they walked.

"I apologize for Hiei; it has been a while since we have encountered someone like yourself."

"Oh, yeah I was gonna ask," Yusuke interrupted, turning his head towards Kazane. "Have you ever been in demon world before?"

She frowned. "Not for a long time," She muttered. "I was born here."

"Yeesh, that must've sucked," The detective exclaimed, brows raising.

Kazane's dark expression softened as she remembered familiar red hair and Irish lilt. "Well, for the most part."

She stared up at the stone structure eerily carved into the shape of an open-mouthed skull, paying no attention to the boys' bickering beside her.

She had never been in a real fight before this, and anxiety hummed in her bones. She was confident enough in her abilities, sure, and she had the advantage of knowing what to expect, but even with that it was still hard to stare danger right in the eyes. Literally.

Kazane sighed and followed the gang into the mouth, trying not to think about the inevitable fighting that would ensue.

* * *

**Note:**

**Hiei's a real charmer, huh?**

**I took some artistic liberties with Kurama and Hiei's entrances so that Kazane wasn't wandering around aimlessly by herself until they dropped in.**

**Kazane's personality is more that she's guarded and polite upon first meeting people, but when she really gets to know them or her anger gets the better of her she really shows her true, sarcastic self. Just wanted to mention that in case her introductions to Kurama/Koenma and her conversations with Yusuke seemed OOC from what we've established so far.**

**A big shoutout to all my followers and lurkers, and an extra big shoutout to Aihi8 for the reviews. You are too kind to me. I promise there will be more interaction and dialogue with canon characters, especially in the next chapter.**


	5. Mission to Mars

The walls of the corridor were smooth, albeit chipped away from time, and Kazane absentmindedly ran her hand over the surface as she walked with the boys.

The amplified air of demon world felt oppressively thick as they made their way deeper inside. Every cell in her body screamed at her to run away, there was something dangerous here, she could _die_ here. Still, she pressed on, taking comfort in the four bodies around her.

The sight of a winged eyeball caused their advance to halt, and Kazane stared at it with a mixture of disgust and amazement. Time and time again she was finding that seeing things in the flesh was entirely different from mentally preparing herself for it.

"Welcome to Maze Castle," The beast announced, his voice a shrill piercing tone.

"Woah," Kuwabara yelled. "It talked."

"Those who enter Maze Castle must be tried by the Gate of Betrayal," The eyeball continued, paying no attention to the ginger's interruption.

"What do you mean, tried?" Yusuke asked, fists clenched and readied before him.

Wordlessly the eyeball flew over to a switch on the wall and pulled it, and the whole corridor around them began to shake violently. Kurama called out, and every pair of eyes looked towards where the ceiling began to descend rapidly. Kazane's heart beat wildly in her chest. She was going to be crushed she was going to be crushed she was going to d-

The boys took the brunt of the collapse first, and within a moment Kazane reached up as well, doing her best to try to push against it. The eyeball before them gleamed in amusement, proceeding to explain the intricacies of the hallway. Tentatively, Kazane flexed her leg muscles, trying to send enough energy to them while keeping her hold on the ceiling in check.

"Just enough leeway remains for one person to escape, leaving their friends to be crushed by the weight. But decisions must be made quickly, not even the five of you combined can hold the ceiling for long. Insist on teamwork and everyone will be crushed. Only by turning against your friends will one of you be able to escape. Only the traitor among you deserves to enter Maze Castle. That's why it's called The Gate of Betrayal you see."

The eyeball cackled, circling around the room excitedly, and Kazane wondered briefly if she stabbed it if it would pop like a grape against her knife.

"Boy I'd like to get my hands on that bat thing," Kuwabara shouted, voicing similar sentiments, and his knees began to give as his attention was redirected from the ceiling.

"Stay focused on the weight or you'll kill us all!" Hiei spat, glaring at the boy.

"Oh sure, blame me, I bet I'm holding up a lot more weight than you are."

"Shut it Kuwabara," Yusuke retorted, ineffectively interrupting the dispute.

"Well I'm not about to die for the sake of you worthless humans, and a half-breed to boot." Hiei's glare was fixed on Kazane, and if she wasn't feeling crushed under the immeasurable weight she would have stabbed him.

"Don't you even consider it, Hiei," Kurama warned, somehow still sounding poised despite his efforts.

As the boys around her bickered amongst themselves Kazane yelled at the spirit detective.

"Yusuke I'm holding up the least amount of weight, it makes sense for me to go for the switch."

Behind her Kuwabara cried out in protest, but Yusuke stared over at the redhead before the corners of his lips twitched upwards. "That makes sense, and next to Hiei you're probably the fastest here."

"_Excuse _me?" The demon on his other side hissed venomously. "Even if she were as fast as I am you'd really stake your life on someone like her?"

Before Kazane could respond Yusuke's loud voice filled the entire area. "Kazane, Hiei, I don't care who goes just someone get over there and stop this ceiling from turning us into pancakes!"

An ambient glow surrounded Yusuke's limbs as he pushed against the stone, and Kazane took that as her cue to sprint. She dropped her hands from the ceiling, pushing her legs to their limits and letting the wind she controlled propel her, and in an instant she was at the switch. Beside her the eyeball stared, suddenly nervous.

Simultaneously she pulled the switch and sent a strong gust to the eyeball, sending it careening towards the stone wall where it hit against it with a sick smack.

A rumbling above her caught her attention, and she stared up at the sight of the largest boulder she had ever seen hurtling towards her. She had almost forgotten about it.

Kazane quickly darted off to the side as the boulder came tearing down where she had been moments before, and she started to call out to the boys but became distracted by a fluttering purple figure next to her. The eyeball hissed and cursed, making to leave through the door, but Kazane immediately whipped out a dagger and lodged it right in the pupil.

She had been right, the mass of eyeball before her popped disgustingly, and she withdrew her knife, grimacing as she took in the fluids now caked on her arms and hands.

"Gross," She muttered, turning to where the boys had finally rounded the corner and were looking at her with surprised expressions.

Kuwabara was the first to speak. "Oh man, that was so cool, I thought for sure you'd be smooshed under that giant rock. At least we know we can count on you, Kazane," He added, throwing a glare at the raven-haired demon.

Kazane shook her head and placed a hand on her hip. "Hiei wouldn't have betrayed you," She said with surety.

"Speak for yourself," He snapped, ruby eyes fixed on the girl before him. "Friends are just a crutch for the weak."

She rolled her eyes, smirking as she recalled how differently the scenario could've gone.

Despite Kuwabara's heated remarks the group began making their way deeper in the castle, and Kazane easily fell intro stride alongside Kurama, who eyed her with amusement.

"Your speed is impressive."

Kazane sent a smile towards the fox. "The wind is a useful ally."

"If speed is your only talent I'm afraid your assistance is useless," Hiei interrupted. "It takes more than speed to kill a demon."

Kazane raised her brows at him. "It's okay, Hiei," She began, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I know it's hard for someone like you to accept being outclassed."

"Outclassed?" Hiei stopped in the corridor, glaring daggers at the girl before him. Instead of shaking with unbridled rage he was still as the stone around them. "You foolish woman-"

Yusuke turned back towards the pair. "C'mon you two, can't you see you're tearing this family apart?" He joked, but before he could continue a ringing sounded from his pocket, and he took out a purple compact.

Botan's cheery figure appeared onscreen, and Kazane thought to herself how envious she was of the girl's red and black leather clad attire.

Kazane watched Yusuke and Kuwabara bicker over the comms, and glanced at the two demons around her. She was feeling exhausted already.

* * *

The castle itself was stupidly large, and Kazane wanted nothing more than to sit down and take a breather, though she knew the others would never let her. Time was of the essence, and they didn't have much.

She eyed the detective in front of her. "Did Koenma give you any info on these Saint Beasts we're fighting?" She knew the answer, but figured at least voicing the concern aloud was a step in the right direction.

Yusuke stopped in his tracks, and the redhead collided uncomfortably with his back. "Come to think of it...Botan didn't really give me anything to go on," He growled before turning to the fox-demon. "Kurama, what do you know about these Four Saint people? Botan pushed us down that hole like a couple of cows and I didn't have a chance to ask her."

"She wouldn't have told you much, I'm afraid." He responded, a calm smile gracing his perfect features. "Ever since the barrier wall was raised around the city spirit world intelligence virtually forgot this place existed. Let's just say that when you see their bodies you may be very surprised."

"Terrified," A deep and, yes, terrifying voice called out from the darkness before them. Goosebumps spread along Kazane's skin. "Isn't that more like it?"

"There is a door behind you," The voice continued. "Please, take it."

The human duo opened the door roughly, and Kazane breezed past them.

"Uh...ladies first...I guess?" Yusuke offered weakly, before grabbing a torch and throwing it into the darkness.

Genbu was actually horrifying to look at. He appeared before them like some fucked up Pokemon, his gigantic form casting shadows all along the similarly-stoned walls. He bade them welcome, his eyes glowing golden in the dim light, and beside her Kuwabara visibly cowered in fear. Kazane probably would have done the same, had she not been anticipating this.

"I am Genbu of the Four Saint Beasts. Do you have a request before you die!?"

"Yeah, tell me how a beast is a saint, I'm lost," Yusuke joked, and Kazane swiftly kicked him in the shin, much to his displeasure.

"This stairwell is the only way to the castle tower," Genbu continued, ignoring Yusuke entirely. "You can either defeat me and go up on your own, or be dragged there once you stop breathing."

His tail whipped through the air dangerously before impaling the ground with such force that a giant crater was left behind. The reverberations from it ran through Kazane's body, and she gripped her fans in response.

"He's a rock, Urameshi!" Kuwabara yelled, completely losing any semblance of composure he may have possessed. "How are we supposed to fight against a talking rock?"

Predictably, Kurama stepped forward. "I will fight him." He looked perfectly calm and at ease, and Kazane eyed him with jealousy. Maybe after all the crazy shit he'd seen in his life this talking rock was nothing to him. "It would be ill-advised for all of us to attack without first knowing his power."

Kazane stepped forward. "This whole room is made of stone," She reminded him, trying to keep her tone vague. "I'm sure he can use it to his advantage."

If she could prevent even one injury during the course of their fights then it was worth it to her. Guilt still plagued her over Kuwabara's needless pain. If she could just figure out how to be nondescript enough, then she could prevent more suffering.

Kurama's emerald eyes met with Kazane's own blue, and after a moment the corners of his lips twitched upwards. He bowed his head in response. "That is true."

Unbeknownst to her, another pair of ruby orbs were staring intently at Kazane's back.

Kazane breathed in the beautiful smell of the roses, letting them fill her scent and ground her in reality. She snatched a petal from the air, rubbing it between her fingertips, before staring out towards where Kurama was standing with his rose whip, looking for all the world like a regal king.

"What a beautiful way to kill," She breathed, and beside her Yusuke snorted.

"Yeah, if you're into all that girly crap."

Kazane flicked his forehead. "I _am _a girl, you twit. It's poetic."

"But how is he going to beat that rock with some flowers?" Kuwabara asked, his face woven into an expression of concern.

"Kurama's aesthetics may be pointlessly beautiful," Hiei interrupted. "But they are formidable. The reason I asked for his assistance in stealing those items is so I wouldn't have to face him myself. He's more cut throat than I am when it comes to battle, and unbelievably precise."

Kazane watched as Kurama performed wild acrobatics to dodge Genbu's blows, and then go in for the attack, successfully severing parts of his stone body and sending them across the chamber.

Her prior warning about the stone room had succeeded in its attempt to protect Kurama from the initial blow to his stomach, but as the fox demon stood still in a hail of rock Kazane's teeth grit. He was still wounded.

As the boys bickered around her and yelled towards their teammate, Kazane thought about the fights that lay ahead.

Byakko would be next, and she would be damned if she took Kuwabara's place and fought against him. It wasn't that she didn't think she could beat him, even though it would take a lot of time and energy, she just didn't really want to get in the way of Kuwabara proving himself to the rest of his teammates. He was strong, even if the others underestimated him.

With a grimace she realized she had accidentally done the same for the events in the hallway. Hiei's actions were meant to illustrate his willingness to cooperate with everyone, and she had sidestepped it without a single thought. Oops.

Speaking of Hiei, Seiryu would go down before him mercilessly, and she had a feeling Hiei would slaughter her himself if she got in the way of his weird pride-filled fight against him.

So that left Suzaku, and she knew very well how that fight would go.

Kazane eyed the spirit detective next to her, images of his tortured form running through her mind like some fucked up film reel.

Realistically, she would help them get up to the tower with Suzaku. There was hardly a chance of him surviving as long if it were a five on one fight.

She was shaken forcefully out of her reverie by Kuwabara nudging her shoulder.

"You okay? You looked pretty out of it for a second."

Kazane blinked twice, taking in the sight of Kurama's many wounds on his limbs. She frowned.

"Yeah, I'm good. We should keep going," She motioned to Kurama as he winced from the pain. "Will you be okay?"

"I appreciate your concern but I will be alright," He said smoothly, giving her a small smile. "Besides, I can hardly let this take me out of the fight."

"You should save your concern for yourself, half-breed," Hiei hissed, and Kazane breathed sharply through her nose.

"My name is Kazane, you porcupine."

"_Porcupi_-"

"Alright, let's just keep moving, okay?" Kuwabara cut in, placing himself between the two shorter figures. "I'll take the next one so let's just get on with this already."

Kazane tossed a lock of hair over her shoulder, swiftly moving past where Hiei stood before her and beginning the advance up the stone steps. She grabbed one of the torches hanging on the wall and brought it closer to her, quirking an eyebrow at where Yusuke was looking at her dumbfounded.

"Are you seriously cold right now?"

"I'm sensitive to cold," She defended. "And Botan whisked me away to spirit world without so much as letting me grab a jacket."

"Hiei himself is a fire demon," Kurama offered helpfully, but before he could continue Hiei's icy voice cut him off.

"My powers are not to be wasted on such trivial things," He hissed, glaring at Kurama. "Making others more comfortable is not my purpose."

You could say that again, Kazane thought to herself, rolling her eyes.

"Speaking of powers," Yusuke said. "Genkai can heal people, didn't she teach you any techniques or anything that could heal Kurama?"

Kazane shook her head. "She tried. Apparently my energy doesn't mix well with others, for some strange reason. She doesn't know why."

"Well, that's weird."

It was true. Genkai had, at one point, taught her the basics of healing. She had tried to get Kazane to follow through by cutting open the pad of her finger and telling her to attempt to heal it. The moment Kazane's energy reached out and met Genkai's own, however, she saw the old woman shudder and recoil.

She had never asked what her energy felt like, and Genkai had never asked her to attempt it again.

The group paused before a large open window, and Kazane stared out at it as Kurama took inventory on his wounds.

"As long as I can walk, I will be fine," He reassured them.

"He's in no shape to fight," Hiei added. "That means we have only four fighters left and two of them are worthless."

"Speak for yourself, shrimp," She spat, eyes boring into cherry ones as the two of them glared back at her.

"Sorry, Kazane, but I think that jab was aimed mostly at Kuwabara," Yusuke chimed in, finally ceasing to lean against the wall.

"Is that so?" The ginger responded happily. "Then maybe I should show you something. What in the world do you think I was doing for the last six months while you were off training with Genkai? Letting you get better than me? Nuh-uh!"

Kazane watched with wide eyes as Kuwabara's entire form glowed, and from his open hand shot out his signature orange-lit spirit sword.

"Hey, watch it!" Yusuke yelled, but Kazane darted forward to look at the sword more closely.

"That almost looks like lightning in a way," She commented, being careful not to touch the blade itself. "Such a pretty color."

Even in the glow produced by Kuwabara's sword she saw his cheeks turn pink, and he immediately struck a manly pose.

"Well, it may not be as pretty as Kurama's flowers but it's sure got style," He chuckled. "You see what I've learned, Urameshi? I don't gotta use the tip of that wooden sword to make it work anymore. It's just my pure energy, and I'll bet it can kick the crap out of your spirit gun."

Quickly Yusuke flipped him off. "That depends on what finger I use."

Hiei looked...amused?

"Well, as it turns out he's only partially useless." He turned his head to Kazane. "I can't say the same for you."

The redhead idly flipped a dagger in her hands, an almost feral-like grin spread across her features. "You sure sure about that Hiei? Why don't we make it fun, see who's faster."

"Hey!" Yusuke yelled, placing his arms between the two. "Can we at least get through this first before you two start hacking each other to ribbons?"

Behind the detective's arm Hiei merely smirked.

* * *

Byakko was, for all intents and purposes, much cuter than Genbu.

Sure, the whole roaring and eating people thing wasn't as much cute as it was terrifying, but truth be told Kazane preferred the green hair and fur to the giant stone-man tenfold. She didn't voice her thought out loud, though, instead she stared at the demon in front of them and braced herself as more rock crumbled beneath them.

"He's just a big kitty cat," She said, her sing-song voice causing Yusuke to chuckle at her side.

Kuwabara on the other hand looked positively beside himself with fear.

"Hey, I know you said you'd take on the next guy, but I could fight if-"

"No," Kuwabara interrupted, looking down at the redhead. "I gave my word. And besides, I can't call myself a man if I bow out and let a girl fight my opponent."

"I mean, I don't think that's a prerequisite to being a man," Kazane responded haughtily, her brow arching. "But if this is something you have to do then by all means." She raised her hands in a display of resignation.

Byakko interrupted Kuwabara's slow walk towards him with another roar. "Do not think you're dominant because you tore apart Genbu; he was weak. He could talk to the demons in the city by prowling through the castle wall. That is why we didn't kill him ourselves. But I am a real beast. I have been caged in this place for too long without prey, without bones, without blood! Until now...

"Humans! I will rip you apart and eat you myself!"

"Gee, how nice," Yusuke quipped.

"Hiei...Kurama...I'll feed your body to the fugaki!"

Another earth-shattering roar caused the bridge before them to crumble even further, and Kazane retreated closer to the pillar behind her.

"Apparently this guy likes breaking things with the sound of his own voice," Yusuke cursed, staring at the vast expanse below them.

"Talk about lung capacity," Kazane chimed in quietly.

"I'm going in," Kuwabara said, beginning his trek once again, and Yusuke held him back with a hand on his shoulder.

"Kuwabara!"

He was easily shoved back by the ginger, and Yusuke stared at him in a mix of shock.

"Ye of little faith," Kazane said, but her words only caused the detective to grow even more upset.

"I can't just sit by and watch him get killed by this stupid cat!"

"Don't you value your teammates? Don't you believe in them?"

Her words came out more harsh than she intended, but they succeeded in halting Yusuke's tirade.

"Then let him do what he needs to do," She finished, crossing her arms and watching as Kuwabara made his way towards Byakko with trembling legs.

"Tch, fine. But the second he goes down I'm going in."

"I know."

* * *

**Note:**

**Lots of dialogue in this chapter. Bleh.**

**I try my hardest to update this on about a weekly basis, but life has been chaotic and, well, life, so this chapter is a little late. Apologies.**

**As usual shoutout to all the lurkers and followers, and shoutout to ptbv, Aihi8, and xenocanaan for the reviews. Much love to you three.**


	6. Consequence of Nonaction

Throughout the duration of Kuwabara's fight with Byakko, Kazane retreats within her psyche and ponders over a plan.

It's a technique that's starting to become nearly commonplace, started when she would spar with Genkai when she was young. If the old hag wasn't teaching her anything new the redhead would distract herself with thoughts and calculations. She supposed, in a funny way, it was a form of compartmentalization; retreating to another part of her brain instead of looking out at what was really happening before her.

She knew the outcome of these battles. She knew what would happen and who would be victorious. That didn't mean she enjoyed watching Kurama or Kuwabara get hurt.

Slowly she repeats a calming practice she adopted years before being born into this world. Thumb to ring finger, thumb to pointer finger. Pinky. Middle finger. Repeat.

If things weren't so tense she would have lit a cigarette right about now. She would kill for a shot of booze to quell her nerves.

The smell of tobacco in her memory sent her thoughts towards Genkai. She wondered what the old woman was doing right now. Did she worry that she was gone? Did she miss her? There were plenty of leftovers in the fridge, not that Genkai couldn't cook, but they were easy to find.

With a pang in her chest Kazane realized that she actually missed the psychic.

She easily dodged out of the way as Kuwabara wrapped the beasts around the pillar, chaining them together with the end of his spirit sword. The sight was entirely ridiculous, and Kazane let out a harsh laugh as Yusuke quipped at the "monster beast donut".

Byakko himself was incensed at the sight of his beasts being dismissed so easily. The dangerous gleam in his eyes caught the redhead's attention, and a mighty roar issued from his mouth, bringing down a deadly cast of lightning and effectively destroying the stone structure behind them.

Kuwabara strode closer to the beast, a confident set to his shoulders.

"Tear up the castle however you want, it doesn't change the fact that your little monsters are beat, and you're about to be next."

As Byakko leapt down from his pedestal Kazane was appalled at how gigantic the glorified cat was. He had to be at least a foot taller than Kuwabara, and definitely at least three feet taller than Kazane herself.

She idly wondered why she even wanted to get herself into situations like this. Maybe she should have just minded her own business, or better yet, offed herself when she was still under Rannon's care.

And woah, her thoughts had certainly gotten dark.

"Something's wrong," Kurama said quietly, returning Kazane's thoughts to the situation at hand.

"Yes," Hiei agreed, and both Yusuke and Kazane looked over the two.

"What do you mean?"

"Try looking closely at the two fighters. Judging from the attacks Kuwabara's obviously had the upper hand but by the looks of them it's as if Kuwabara's the one taking all the blows."

A second passed before Kazane realized that this had been the first time Hiei actually referred to Kuwabara by his name, and her lips quirked upward.

"Byakko's size, it's increasing."

"He's absorbing Kuwabara's spirit energy."

Kurama and Kazane spoke at the same time, and Yusuke turned to the both of them with wide eyes.

Kazane watched as Kuwabara's spirit energy was eaten up entirely through Byakko's mouth, and she grimaced. Watching the demon kick him around like a punching bag was hard, and she was reminded of the months before when she saw his bones twisted and broken in unnatural ways.

"He can do it," She voiced, though she didn't sound as certain as she had before.

"Perhaps if Kurama were the one fighting him," Hiei responded, and Kazane's retort died in her throat as the group looked out onto the field.

Disgusting sounds were coming from Byakko's stomach, and Kazane's own roiled uncomfortably. It was like the beast had eaten too much dinner on Thanksgiving, and now he was ready to burst.

And burst he did.

Unbound spirit energy crackled around him, straining the skin containing his innards as it desperately tried to escape its confinement. A blinding flash of light attacked Kazane's retinas, and she shielded her eyes as Byakko tumbled down from the stone area towards the ground below.

"Down he goes!" Yusuke called cheerfully.

"The amount of spirit energy Kuwabara transferred created a force that was more than Byakko's body could contain."

"Sounds like an awful case of gas if you ask me!" The detective laughed maniacally at Kurama's words, only stopping when Kuwabara called at him to shut up from where he sat trying to inhale the fumes around them.

"I'm trying to concentrate here okay? I have to breathe in the guy's fumes, it's filled with my spirit energy."

The four approached the ginger, Kazane sighing warily. "That's...not how that works."

"Your energy returned automatically," Kurama extrapolated.

The sound of Yusuke's communicator interrupted any further joking, and Kazane's eyes scanned over the castle before them.

Splitting up was a stupid idea, but this all would be so much easier if she could just float them all up to the very top. She couldn't, she wasn't strong enough to do that, but she was feeling so goddamn impatient.

A deafening roar brought her back to her senses, and the five rushed forward as the ground beneath them collapsed.

* * *

"You know, even though lava is super dangerous, the heat I can definitely get used to."

Kazane's breathing was labored. Even with Genkai's rigorous training having to run up flights of stone stairs was enough to wear her out. It was ridiculous, and didn't make any sense, and so Kazane cursed. Maybe she should quit smoking.

The room they had ascended upon had doors lining it, and Yusuke groaned at her side.

As the group conferred and Kuwabara attempted to sense any latent spirit energy, Kazane stepped over towards one of the steel doors, walking away before Kurama could launch into his cautious explanation of the room. She had always been pretty shitty at detecting others' energy, but a distant voice behind the door caused her to press her ear against it.

It sounded...like a woman? She pressed her ear closer. It sounded vaguely...familiar.

"Kazane, the door is over here!" Yusuke called, and she pulled her head back from the steel, hesitating.

"I heard something. It sounded like-"

"Yeah, well I'm sure this castle is full of all kinds of stuff, now come on!"

Against her better judgment she tipped the door open, peering inside. The darkness was all-consuming, and she took a tentative step, immediately regretting it as she felt gravity take hold of her.

Her instincts took hold, and her descent was halted by her own powers, hovering uncertainly as she tried to calm her rapid heartbeat.

"The door locked! Kazane!"

"I'm alive!" She called in a hitched voice, pressing her hand on the steel before her.

Several loud thumps sounded against it before she heard Kuwabara curse.

"What's with this thing?"

This whole situation was unbelievably stupid, and Kazane cursed herself. She had wanted to contribute, not be a fucking damsel in distress. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness she saw that the only way to go was down; she was trapped in the room on all sides by stone.

"Just keep going, I'll catch up with you later," She yelled, hoping that she wasn't signing her own death certificate with the words. "There isn't much time left!"

Ignoring the shouts from the boys she slowly descended, taking out a match from the pack in her pocket and lighting it.

As she came upon the bottom of the drop she silently thanked whatever fate had gifted her with the power of wind; jagged spikes lined the entire floor before her, adorned with many weirdly-shaped skeletons decomposing where they lay between them. Had she actually plummeted towards the ground she had no doubt she would be a Kazane-kabob by now.

She laughed. Kazane-kabob. Maybe all this stress was getting to her.

Further inspection with the matchlight revealed a narrow exit a few feet away. Maybe Byakko ate the bodies that fell here when he felt like it? She gently lowered her feet down onto the stone floor, stealing a glance back at the spiked skeletons before continuing on the only path she could see.

Every part of her brain screamed at her for the sheer stupidity of the situation. Wasn't she just commenting on how dumb of an idea it was to split up? And what did she have to go and do? Separate herself from the boys in relatively unknown enemy territory. She had no idea where this hallway would lead her. She should have just ignored the voice that sounded eerily like Keiko's.

Kazane pressed her hand and ear against the wooden door in front of her, trying to detect voices or vibrations. Finding none, she stepped lithely out into an empty corridor lined with torches. Everything seemed to be directing her towards a narrow staircase to her right, and with each step up the stairwell she could feel goosebumps raise along her skin.

What was she even hoping to achieve by coming here? The boys were fine on their own, she knew this. She was being selfish.

The sound of voices interrupted her string of self-deprecation, and she pressed herself against the stone wall. She was nearly at the top of the step by the sounds of it, and she peered her head out, wincing as the voices ceased abruptly. All she could hear in her ears was her heart thudding damningly, sounding like the loudest thing in the world.

"Well, what do we have here?"

The shrill voice caused Kanaze to look up, and she quickly discovered she was looking up right into the beady eyes of an annoying bird with green plumage.

She knew she had bad luck, but _hell._

"Suzaku! We have a guest!"

"Already?"

Suzaku's voice was deceptively light and mirthful, and as he rounded the corner his eyes locked onto Kazane's own.

Without really thinking she burst energy to her legs, blasting herself off the step in the opposite direction, the wind around her causing her hair to fly wildly.

She needed to get the fuck out of here.

An agonizingly painful jolt coursed through her body, and she instantly crumpled to the floor. She craned her neck to see Suzaku standing on the same step she had been moments go, his arm outstretched before him. Undoubtedly he had shot her with his attack, and it really hurt.

"My, you are a speedy one," He called out, slowly making his way towards her. "Perhaps you'd like a front row seat to the show?"

Kazane wasn't given a chance to answer as he shot another bolt of lightning at her, and the immediate pain was enough that her eyes rolled in the back of their sockets, her entire body giving out once more as she succumbed to the black creeping her vision.

* * *

This, Kazane thought to herself, was some bullshit.

She spat a globule of blood and sweat onto the stone floor, tugging unsuccessfully at the chains that wrapped her wrists. Her limbs felt numb and weak, as did the rest of her muscles. She cursed, thankful that she at least had not pissed her pants after getting hit with the attack that knocked her out. Lightning was such a stupid power.

How long she had actually been out, she didn't know, though it couldn't have been too long as she observed the strange screen before her where Keiko and Botan battled unsuccessfully with the townsfolk.

"I'm afraid that my future plans don't involve any half-breeds," Suzaku's voice chimed, and Kazane fixed him with a steady glare. "But that doesn't mean we can't have some fun while you watch your friends die."

"If you're counting on Seiryu to kill them then I'm sorry but you're incorrect," Kazane hissed.

"It makes no difference who kills them, be it Seiryu or myself. They will meet the same fate regardless."

Kazane spat another glob towards him, aiming for his face but not getting enough arc, and it seemed the gross act incensed Suzaku enough to finally traipse over towards where she sat. He paused for a moment, looking down at her, before a small smile spread across his lips, and Kazane barely had time to take a breath before another wave of lightning was launched at her.

All thoughts seemed to cease as her body wracked with pain unimaginable. She was frozen, affixed to the spot, the only sensible part left in her brain screaming for death. For this pain, unlike any other, to end. She needed it to end.

She barely registered a tickle in the back of her mind, and a familiar sense of spirit energy.

The dark void of death was slowly ebbing at her vision, and she could feel herself begin to slip into it, a sensation that she wasn't unfamiliar with. If she could move, she would have shuddered at its touch.

The pain finally left, and Kazane sagged forward, unable to hold herself upright anymore. If she wasn't in shock she was sure she would have lost her breakfast right then and there. Suzaku's voice sounded a million miles away even though she knew he was still standing before her.

"You have the lungs of a banshee," He said gleefully, and indeed Kazane's throat felt absolutely raw. She must have screamed for the entire duration of the assault. "It is like music to my ears."

She could do little more than glare at him, but Mirugu's voice beckoned him closer to the display screen, and he turned away without another word.

**Stupid woman, stop ignoring me.**

The voice in her head was grating, and awfully familiar.

Kazane swallowed, finally becoming aware of the mental presence itching at her brain. Before she could even help it, a feeling of relief flooded her senses, crossing over the mental link between the two.

**I wasn't ignoring you, Hiei.**

**Some help you've turned out to be, **Hiei continued. **Seiryu has fallen, we are making our way up the tower. Try not to die before we get there.**

Fury coiled in her gut, and she sent it careening through their link before Hiei withdrew.

Tears stung her eyes as she clenched her fists, her nails biting into her skin and drawing blood from the force. Hiei was right; some help she had turned out to be. She truly was being a fucking damsel in distress, and she hated every second of it.

If she could get out of these stupid manacles then maybe she could at least launch an attack on Suzaku. She knew in her heart that it would be a fight she wouldn't win, but at the very least she could weaken him for Yusuke. She had to at least try.

Kazane flexed her arms, feeling the cold metal gripping her wrists. In theory, you could dislocate your thumbs to get out of wrist restraints. But that would require her knowing _how_ to dislocate them, and even if she did she would probably need all of her fingers if she planned on fighting. So that plan was out of the realm of possibilities.

The same could be said for her arms, if she used her speed and wind propulsion to launch herself away from the wall she was sure something would have to give, but the question remained: would it be the wall the chains were connected to, or (more than likely) her shoulder joints? Fighting with her shoulders out of their sockets didn't seem like a good idea, and so she scrapped that as well.

Tentatively, she called upon the wind, trying to be as discrete as possible while Suzaku played out a haunting melody on the flute.

What could only be described as a mini cyclone began whipping around the tiny space between the steel and her soft flesh, cuts beginning to mar the skin. Kazane grit her teeth; if she didn't concentrate the sharp wind she was directing would no doubt go through her wrist, effectively removing her hand entirely. It was a tricky game she was playing, but given the circumstances she couldn't think of anything else to do. As she felt the metal slowly grind away she bit her lip, trying to amass her spirit energy towards her legs and feet. She would need all the speed she could gather for what stupidity she was planning next.

Suzaku ceased his playing, and within a moment turned to face the redhead, no doubt able to hear the soft grinding of wind against metal.

"Whatever tricks you are planning are futile," He said, hefting her up by the collar of her shirt, forcing her to break concentration on the manacles lest she cut into her own skin.

She felt the space between and gave him a smile, her sharper-than-normal incisors exposed.

The next events seemed to happen in slow motion. Kazane pulled her arms out of the chains, adrenaline forcing her to ignore the screaming pain the cuts gave out as they scraped alongside the sharp interior. In one fluid motion she grabbed one of her knives, sending it plunging deep into the muscle of his thigh. Suzaku responded with a cry of pain and a swift punch to her solar plexus, effectively knocking the breath out of her and sending her flying towards the stone wall.

She hit it with a sickening crack, briefly registering the loss of one, no, two ribs, before her head collided with the rock and black once again invaded her senses.

She really needed to stop making this a habit, getting knocked unconscious.

She could only hope her little stunt was enough to slow Suzaku down, and that Yusuke and the gang weren't too far away.

* * *

Hiei sliced through another green abomination, his blade making a satisfyingly clean cut. The detective was long gone, up through the window above the steel door, but with each disgusting figure that they cut down between them, ten more appeared.

His irritation was getting the better of him, and he couldn't keep it much more in check.

"This is pointless," He hissed, jumping back to where Kurama stood, his rose whip out and covered in similar grime. "If that oaf and I clear a path to the door you can easily cut it down with your whip."

The two demons ignored Kuwabara's angry protests, and Kurama looked over at Hiei, his green eyes appraising.

"You seem impatient, Hiei."

The fire demon said nothing, choosing instead to look back at the mass of cultivated humans before them.

Kurama was correct; he was impatient, and that in itself only served to bolster his anger.

"Let's go," Hiei called, and between Kuwabara and him they carved a path to the door, each body falling beneath their swords with a squelch.

Kurama was swiftly behind, and between the two he emerged, his whip cutting the door before them like it was no more than paper. As the trio made their way up the stone steps Hiei bolstered his energy to his feet, easily overtaking the two of them.

A brief flash of the half-breed's feral grin and taunting words stirred something in his gut, and he forcefully pushed it back down to the recesses of his mind. He had felt her pain, though numbed from the mental link. She was _dying_.

The sight the trio came upon when they finally ascended the steps and opened the door made them all hesitate.

Yusuke was kneeling over Kazane's prone form, slapping her lightly to try and wake her. They both looked worse for wear, though Yusuke's seemed to be mostly bruising and exhaustion. His spirit energy must have been nearly depleted.

"Yusuke," Kurama called, and brown eyes looked up as the fox demon knelt beside the girl, quietly taking inventory on her wounds.

Hiei watched from a few feet away, his ruby orbs running over the bleeding gashes along her wrists before turning to survey the room. Suzaku lay motionless across the chamber, which was caved in and had sustained serious damage. A fire raged near one of the piles of rubble, casting an eerie glow over everything.

"She will be alright," Kurama finally voiced, catching everyone's attention. "Her ribs are broken, and she has internal bruising, but other than that she's not in critical condition. Her wrists also need to be wrapped." Kuwabara ripped off the cleanest part of the hem on his pants, handing to over to Kurama, who gently used them as binding for Kazane's wounds.

Hiei watched as Kazane's eyes peered open, and she held his gaze for a moment before turning to Yusuke, the anger behind them disappearing.

"Stupid...eyebrows," She whispered, and the detective cackled, wiping away moisture from his eyes.

"They were pretty stupid, and so are you for pulling a crazy stunt like that!"

With half-lidded eyes Kazane smiled at him. "Couldn't...let you die...brat."

With that she passed out once more, and Yusuke carefully swept her up bridal style, his body straining but not dropping her to the floor.

The strange feeling in Hiei's gut wormed its way up once again at the sight, and he nearly growled with anger at himself.

As the four made their way back through the castle Yusuke recounted his version of events; bursting into the room just as Suzaku was priming a killing shot at Kazane. Suzaku slowed down by the deep, gaping wound on his thigh. The blows exchanged between the two. Ruby eyes peered over the unconscious figure in his grip, and Hiei smirked.

Perhaps his words had achieved the desired effect.

* * *

**Note:**

**And that's the end of the Maze Castle arc! A couple things: 1) Things have gone differently than in canon. Some small some pretty damn obvious. Something to keep in mind for later. 2) There was no way Kazane would have won against Suzaku. There just wasn't. Hence her managing to get a good stab in. 3) This chapter was hard to write, for some reason. Apologies if things seemed rushed.**

**Also I have fanart for Kazane! My mind is boggled, I've never ever gotten fanart. Shoutout to the wonderful chobits15, link is on my profile.**

**As usual many thanks and hugs to my wonderful lurkers and followers, and kudos to xenocanaan for the review. You all keep me going, and it really brings a smile to my face when I get the notifications. My health has been kind of crap lately so they really lift my spirits.**


	7. Easy

Kazane's first thought when she awoke was that the bed she was laying in was surprisingly comfortable, even if the comforter was a garish shade of blue.

Her next thought was that each inhale was like a dull ache in her chest. Nowhere near as bad as it had been at the castle, but not pleasant.

With the memories of the previous events coming back her blue eyes flew open and she hurriedly sat up, cursing quietly as the action caused more pain and discomfort.

"I wouldn't move too quickly, if I were you."

Kazane looked up to the source of the calm voice and met a glittering pair of emerald eyes. Kurama gave a soft smile from where he sat in a chair, his posture perfect.

"What's happened?" She asked, grimacing at how dry her mouth was. A wet patch of drool to her left caused her to blush.

"You are in Kuwabara's room. We brought you back here after leaving Demon World. We would have taken you to Genkai's but I was worried what too much travel would do to your ribs."

During his explanation Kazane cast her eyes around the room; Kuwabara lay on the floor, a mass of blankets surrounding him as he snored. She felt a tad touched that he would give up his bed enough to sleep on the floor.

The blinds were closed but from the dim light filtering through Kazane could tell it was early morning and the sun was beginning to rise.

"How long have I been out?"

"A full day," Kurama replied. "You are healing more quickly than I expected, no doubt thanks to your demon ancestry, but I would take it easy until your ribs are healed."

"And Yusuke?"

"He was merely exhausted from expending his spirit energy during his fight with Suzaku. He's fine."

At this Kazane smiled and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, wincing at the motion. Though a little unsteady her legs supported her weight, and she stood, smoothing out her clothing and looking around for her boots. As she tugged them on Kurama stood as well, giving her an appraising glance.

"Is it wise to be leaving so soon?"

The demoness huffed. "The sooner I get back to Genkai the faster whatever punishment she dishes out is over with. I doubt she's very happy I just up and disappeared for a few days." Kazane shrugged. "She can also heal me, so."

Kurama simply nodded, stepping out of the way as Kazane knelt down to Kuwabara's sleeping form and quietly thanked him. She knew he was probably deep in dreamland, but still. Better to let him rest.

She bid Kurama farewell before opening the door and silently stepping through the apartment, thankful it was still early and she wouldn't encounter Kuwabara's sister. She wondered what excuse he had come up with for a grown woman sleeping in his room, as well as the fox demon no doubt coming and going as he pleased.

The air outside was brisk, and she sighed, taking inventory on the meager amount of money she had with her and made her way to the nearest bus stop.

During the long ride out of Tokyo Kazane thought about the next few months. Yusuke and Kuwabara would be rescuing Yukina from Tarukane's clutches, Hiei in hurried tow. The chances of her joining along for that were slim seeing as Kuwabara only joined because Yusuke needed his tape player to watch the video Koenma sent. There wouldn't be time to ask for her assistance.

That was fine, anyway. After that would be the Dark Tournament, and the training leading up to it. She needed to get stronger. She needed to use this time to train with Genkai, and possibly Kurama and Hiei if they allowed. If Kuwabara could train with them, why not her? Facing an opponent different from Genkai would be beneficial any way she looked at it.

As Kazane departed the bus and made the long trek to the psychic's land trepidation coiled in her gut. She was nervous about just how angry Genkai would be at her disappearance. Or worse, maybe she didn't care at all.

Coming up to the top of the many stone steps Kazane looked up to find said psychic standing out on the porch, her bubblegum hair blowing slightly in the breeze. There was an unreadable expression on her face, and Kazane crossed the distance between them, opening her mouth to say something but failing as the words caught in her throat.

A harsh slap landed on the side of her face with a smack, the force of it turning her head to the side, and she lowered her gaze, unable to meet Genkai's brown orbs.

"And just where the hell have you been? You disappear for four days and come back bandaged up and bruised."

"Saving the world," Kazane joked, her smile not quite wide enough.

After an awkward silence Genkai smiled back, much to her surprise, a 'hmmph' exuding from her nose. "That dimwit. I knew he'd rope you into his bullshit."

A glow emanated from her hands as she began to heal first the welt on Kazane's cheek, then her ribs. The scene was oddly domestic, and tears pricked at the corners of the redhead's eyes as she swallowed thickly.

"I'm home."

"Welcome home."

* * *

The pair fell back into their old routine, Kazane waking early to prepare breakfast for the two of them before being assuaged with an insane amount of training. Genkai took it easy on her until her ribs had fully healed, but after that it was like being ordered around by a drill sergeant, except the drill sergeant was a terrifying old woman.

The day Kazane returned she recounted what had happened at Maze Castle, Genkai listening silently and not providing much input until she finished, merely scolding the girl for her stupidity leading up to being caught.

"You'll need to train more if you plan on gallivanting across Demon World with that bonehead."

She had no idea.

It was good to be back in her room, in her own bed, and Kazane realized just how much she had missed being at Genkai's. The place was familiar, and the second she had stepped through the doorway she felt the tension in her shoulders relax.

Yusuke showed up a month later, not making any effort to hide his anxiety over his invitation to the Dark Tournament. He yelled and plead with Genkai for more training, which she offered mercilessly. Once again the household routine shifted, making room for one more person. Genkai had Kazane spar more often with Yusuke than previously, and this time the detective didn't hold back.

One night after Yusuke's return he and Kazane sat at the kitchen table, Kazane nursing a beer while Yusuke drank a soda. After some agitation over a game of checkers (in which Yusuke threw the board across the room and Genkai hollered at him from wherever she was) the two were working on a game of Uno steadily.

"I just can't believe he wasn't dead. We didn't even make a dent in him! How am I supposed to beat him in the tournament?"

Kazane placed a draw four card down, eliciting a groan from Yusuke. "You just need to get stronger. You can kick his ass."

At this Yusuke scoffed. "You make it sound so easy."

Kazane shrugged. "The whole thing's going to majorly suck, but at least you won't be alone."

"Yeah," The detective sighed. "At least I've got Hiei and Kurama...and Kuwabara."

"And me," Kazane added.

"What?" He cried, waving his arms around. "Nuh uh. No way. You're not getting any more busted ribs on my watch, girlie."

A plucked eyebrow raised in response as Kazane took another swig of beer. There was something to be said about Japanese beer that made it miles more palatable than the swill she remembered drinking in her previous life. "You don't think I just train for fun, do you? I'm coming, no if's, and's, or but's about it, my dude. Besides," She added, frowning at Yusuke's newly-placed reverse card. "You need another fighter."

With an exasperated sigh Yusuke called Uno and glared at the girl in front of him.

"This game's not as fun with only two people."

"So let's invite Kuwabara and the gang."

Yusuke choked mid-sip of his drink, spewing soda across the table. "What?"

"Invite them over. I don't know where they're training now but Genkai's property has to be miles bigger than wherever they are. And she'll let them stay here as long as they don't fuck up the temple. C'mon," Kazane whined. "We can have a campfire and everything. If we're going to be a team we might as well train together, right?"

"Don't tell me you miss them?" Yusuke chuckled, his face falling as he took in the redhead's grim face. "You...actually miss them.."

"I miss being around people," Kazane sighed, running a hand through her hair. "It's been a while since I have and...y'know, it's not that bad."

"Alright, alright, I'll call Kuwabara, just don't start crying on me now!"

"As if!"

It took a while to convince Kuwabara to lug the two demons out of Tokyo on a bus, but the idea of more involved training must have been the selling point as three dark figures made their way through the darkness towards where a small fire was going some feet away from the temple. Yusuke and Kazane sat around it, the redhead curled up in a blanket, cigarette in one hand and beer in the other. Yusuke was unsuccessfully trying to roast another marshmallow, a pile of scorched blackened ones near his feet.

Kazane imagined Hiei cramped onto a bus and stifled the laugh in her throat. Surely he ran the entire way himself instead.

"Is this supposed to be your idea of training?"

His harsh words cut through the night, and Kazane beamed at the three before her.

"Genkai goes to bed fairly early so we won't be able to train until tomorrow; too much noise. In the meantime..." She gestured to the fire eagerly.

Kuwabara made an excited noise, settling down beside Yusuke and grabbing a marshmallow himself. As the two began exchanging light insults Kazane pat the ground beside her, and Kurama lowered himself, sighing softly.

"I suppose these grounds will be better than the forest we were training in. I assume this means you'll be joining us?" His emerald eyes turned over to Kazane, and she smiled.

"Can't just sit by and let you guys get all the glory. Besides," She repeated. "You need another fighter."

"Yes, well, that is true."

"Yusuke told me about the last case and these Toguro brothers. He said they're strong."

Kurama nodded, but it was Hiei who spoke in response. "And many others that will be fighting in the tournament. Most who fight there die."

Kazane nodded, returning her attention to the flames before her. The night had a chill to it, and she was grateful for the blanket and the burning heat source in front of her.

After a while Kurama excused himself to the restroom and then bed, Kazane pointing out which way to the guest bedrooms, and Yusuke and Kuwabara got locked in a mock fight a few feet away. She watched Kuwabara put Yusuke into a headlock, smiling, and took a long drag of her cigarette.

"Why do you smoke those disgusting things?"

She turned to meet a pair of ruby eyes, made all the more intense from the light of the fire. She had almost forgotten Hiei was there. Almost.

"I'm inhaling the smoke for pleasure," She responded, taking another drag. Whether it was the slight amount of alcohol in her system or the sheer absurdity of the situation, she couldn't tell, but she released the smoke, perfect o-rings coming out one by one. Her amused smile faltered as she took in the intense look the demon was giving her.

"You find comfort in fire." It wasn't a question, just a statement, and Kazane couldn't tear away from his gaze as a response formed in her throat.

"I do."

Kuwabara and Yusuke's humored jabs seemed miles away, Kazane only registering the crackle of the fire in front of her.

"Odd trait for a wind demon."

Kazane finally tore her gaze away from Hiei's, trying her best to nonchalantly shrug. She stood up, gathering the blanket in her arms as she yelled to Yusuke she was heading to bed.

The detective turned towards Hiei after watching Kazane's retreating form, a frown on his face. "Hey, did you say something mean to her again?"

The fire demon simply grunted and stood up, blurring out of view no doubt into the foliage above them.

Once back in the temple Kazane went through her nightly routine: showering, performing her skincare ritual, and settling into bed. Another thing she had changed from canon; the entire group training together. Surely that was better...right?

It hadn't taken very long for Kazane to realize how much she missed having company around her. She enjoyed the time she spent with Genkai but it had been literal years since she'd had friends, if she could call them that yet. Yusuke was a friend, at least. After the years of one-on-one contact and isolation she craved group conversation, and even though there hadn't been much time to dick around at Maze Castle it had still been...nice. She liked the boys, even if Kurama was reserved and Hiei was kind of an asshole. A weird asshole.

She sank into unconsciousness, trying not to think about how tiring the coming day would be, or how irritated Genkai would inevitably be at a house full of people without her explicit invitation.

Oops.

* * *

**Note:**

**And here we have more interaction between Kazane and the boys/Genkai. It didn't feel right for me to have Kazane just barge her way into the Yukina plotline, and I couldn't think of a natural way to do it, so she didn't join in the rescue.**

**I'm not just going to jump right to the Dark Tournament starting; I've got more chapters of training and interaction between everyone. Training takes time.**

**On a side note, this update came much later than I wanted it to, namely because a deer decided to walk into highway traffic and mess up my car, so I've been dealing with that shit lately. I'm fine, my windshield was just messed up pretty good. Thank you deer.**

**Shoutout to all the new followers and lurkers, and special shout outs to verycoolname, Foxie3366, Guest, and Aihi8 for the reviews. You are too sweet to me.**


	8. Love, Love, Love

"I wake up to find two demons and another human in my house, without my permission no less. Were you born an idiot or did you get knocked on the head too hard in Demon World?"

The four figures in the kitchen winced at Genkai's scathing words, and Kazane placed the breakfast skillet down in the center of the table, raising her hands in surrender.

"I genuinely thought training together was a good idea, I'm sorry I didn't tell you beforehand!"

Genkai merely 'hmmph'ed as she sipped her tea, and the boys sitting around her dug into the meal with enthusiasm.

"Urameshi was right, Kazane, you really can cook!" Kuwabara yelled in excitement, and Kazane saw Genkai's eye twitch at the exclamation.

Kurama nodded in agreement as he ate with more grace than anyone should have a right to. Kazane felt a pang of jealousy as she glanced over at him. She really needed to figure out how he was so poised all the damn time.

"Hiei and I have been working with Kuwabara on his swordsmanship," Kurama said. "You could join us today if you wish, Kazane."

Her knife-work could use some improvement, and fighting against two ruthlessly strong demons would no doubt bolster her skills. Kurama was clever; he could likely help her polish the few wind attacks she'd been developing.

She gave a soft snort. Wind attacks. Hah.

Yusuke chose that exact moment to belch loudly, and the entire table went still at the sound.

"That was well brought up, shame you weren't," Kazane jabbed, grinning at the detective.

Yusuke opened his mouth to retort but was immediately cut off by Kuwabara.

"Urameshi! You can't burp in front of girls!"

Another snort expelled from Kazane. "Don't worry Kuwabara, I'm not very ladylike. And I'm sure Master Genkai has heard worse."

She expected the psychic to nod or scoff but she did neither, simply glaring at the group in front of her with a vein bulging in her forehead.

"Alright, enough chit chat, you all have work to do. I need a moment with Kazane."

A grimace graced Kazane's features as the boys left for the temple grounds, Kurama helpfully collecting the dirty dishes and Kazane whispering a thanks. She sat herself down next to her caretaker, blowing a lock of hair out of her face.

It seemed that Genkai was content to let the awkward silence steep, as she simply affixed a beady glare at the redhead, occasionally sipping her tea. Try as she could to keep still Kazane couldn't help fidgeting with the sleeve of her sweatshirt, tugging an errant thread loose and winding it around her finger. After probably ten minutes of silence she finally opened her mouth to speak, but Genkai beat her to it.

"Do you have any idea what you're doing?"

There was a lot of interrupting happening this morning it seemed.

Kazane frowned. "...No?"

It was true; the second she had been reborn into this world she had no fucking clue what she was doing. She was just following whims, following a timeline from vague memory. She had no grand plan, no master manipulation. The only thing she knew was she wanted to see Jin again, and maybe kick some ass and have some laughs along the way.

Genkai sighed, and she hunched over her mug. "Hiei and Kurama are dangerous. Do you understand that?"

"I wouldn't have asked them to come if I didn't trust them."

At those words Genkai let out a harsh laugh. "You trust them. What about with your life then? Would you trust them with your life?"

Kazane reeled back, considering. Yusuke and Kuwabara she'd trust with her life. To a lesser extent Kurama too. Hiei though...

After their debacle at Maze Castle she didn't trust him as far as she could throw him, at least not with her life. The twerp didn't even show up to breakfast this morning.

As if reading her thoughts Genkai sighed once more, staring out the window above the sink. "The Dark Tournament is dangerous, and most people don't come out of it alive. Training together to strengthen your bonds is a decent enough idea, I'll give you that, but without having trust in your teammates you won't go as far as you need to. Not to defeat the Toguro brothers."

An image of a younger, beautiful Genkai alongside the Toguro with stupid sunglasses popped into Kazane's head, and she bit back the retort that was climbing up her throat.

Genkai was worried for her.

"Hey, don't worry, I can charm any male demon as long as they have functioning sex organs," Kazane joked, and Genkai slammed her mug onto the table, effectively shattering it and getting tea everywhere.

"Stop using humor as a deflection," She hissed, eyes narrowing. "This is serious, and you know it."

Kazane bit the inside of her cheek and gathered up the shattered fragments on the table.

"I know," She said softly. "It is serious, and I am worried. I know you're worried. But I'll come back." She met Genkai's brown eyes. "I promise."

Another silence as Kazane deposited the destroyed mug into the garbage can, and Genkai stood up, her arms gracefully placed behind her back.

"Good," She muttered. "I didn't spend years training your pathetic self so you could waste it dying in a stupid tournament."

Kazane smiled at her, nodding appreciatively before heading out the door.

She really was lucky to have landed on Genkai's doorstep of all places.

Instead of jogging over the where the boys were congregated, Kazane took her time breathing in the refreshing, countryside air. It was better than the dank city air of her previous life, and miles better than the oppressive air of Demon World. Was this even countryside? Maybe more like mountainside.

The sun was balmy, and she relished the warmth, shedding her sweatshirt and tying it around her waist as Kuwabara and Hiei came into view, Yusuke sitting cross-legged on the grass before them. Kurama watched the spar from a few feet away, occasionally yelling out tips for Kuwabara as he attempted to parry the fire demon's sword.

Kazane sat beside Yusuke, nudging him in the shoulder and breaking him out of his concentration.

"Hey! I owe you one for that comment you made earlier, you know."

Kazane grinned, lighting a cigarette and bringing it to her lips. "Your fault for being such a pig at breakfast, but I'll take you on. Can you even follow Hiei's movements?" Her teasing words left Yusuke with furrowed brows, his fists clenched at his sides.

"Watch it, ginger," He responded, his tone one of warning, and Kazane scoffed.

"Ginger? Come on, Kuwabara's a ginger." She gestured to Kurama. "Our red hair is far more regal. Your witty retorts are usually better than this, you okay?" Her joking tone turned to one of concern.

Yusuke frowned, never taking his eyes off the pair in front of him. He wrapped his arms around the back of his head. "Yeah, well, sleeping on a futon is stupid. I'm not used to sleeping on them just yet and my neck hurts like a bitch."

"I'm afraid to say you never really get used to it," Kazane admitted, mirroring his frown. Even after years spent at Genkai's a futon was nowhere near as comfortable as a true mattress. She had tossed the stupid wooden block pillow in favor for many plush actual pillows as soon as she had saved up enough allowance. Apparently sleeping on a hard surface did wonders for your back, but little for your hips if you were a side sleeper.

All in all, even with the amount of bedding she tried to cushion herself with it wasn't near enough to stop her hipbones from aching in the mornings.

"Hiei's holding back," Kazane murmured, her attention also drawn to where Kuwabara and Hiei were exchanging blows.

Yusuke nodded. "It's because he feels bad for Kuwabara."

Rage coiled in Kazane's chest. "What? Because he's a human? I'd like to see either of those two detect spirit energy with his level of nuance."

"Jeez, simmer down, don't tell me you're going all soft on him."

"At least he's got, like, a gentleman's code, or whatever," Kazane responded, frowning at how inelegant her words were. Yusuke just stared at her silently. "Demons shouldn't look down on humans!" She yelled, throwing her arms up in the air dramatically.

It was then that she noticed that Kurama, Kuwabara, and Hiei were all staring at her, the match between Kuwabara and Hiei halted at her exclamation.

"Your sympathy for humans will be the death of you," Hiei hissed, idly maneuvering his sword around in his hands.

Kazane rose to her feet. "And your _lack _of sympathy will be the death of you, you bastard."

She belatedly realized the effect her words had on Hiei as his stance went from mostly casual to unnervingly still. She squeezed her eyes shut, cursing herself and her birth for saying something so fucking stupid. Not like she could apologize either, though. She wasn't supposed to know how and where he came into this world, nor the ties attached to it. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

"Big talk for someone so small," Hiei spoke, and his words caused a shiver to course through her spine, despite her attempts to remain poised. "Let's see you back those words up. Face me."

This morning was definitely not going as planned. So far she had caused Genkai to launch into a furious tirade (well, maybe not a tirade but still furious nonetheless), and then she had furthered Yusuke's irritation. To top it all off she had insulted Hiei and his station of birth without even thinking twice, despite her prior knowledge. She was doing a _grand_ job, fuck.

Kazane sighed, taking Kuwabara's place in front of Hiei and readying her twin daggers. She propelled as much spirit energy as she could to her legs and calves, knowing that after her sleight Hiei wouldn't hesitate to use unnecessary force. Again, stupid. She was a fucking idiot.

Without too much thought she analyzed Hiei's stance, the way he held his sword, the side he favored it with. She had an idea about his fighting style, an inkling into the way he might move. Maybe. She still had no idea what facing him on even ground would be like, especially considering he had probably decades of experience and training to back everything up.

She did the only thing that made sense to her; even out the playing field. Strike first.

As Kurama hesitantly called for the beginning of their spar, match, duel, whatever, Kazane zipped forward gracefully, aiming a hit right where she knew his kidney to be.

(Maybe? Was demon anatomy even the same? Did demons have kidneys?)

Hiei parried easily, successfully blocking another, quicker attack with the dagger in her right hand. Genkai had been ruthless at teaching her to be equally proficient with both hands, but Kazane's right was still dominant, and the attacks with it the fastest and most ruthless.

The redhead snarled, twisting out of the way of an insanely fast trio of strikes with his sword, and the fire demon responded in kind, his teeth glinting in the sunlight. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before; their energy responding in aggressive and obsessive tandem. The need to maim, to wound, to sever, so strong. It sang in her bones and she relished in it, the only inkling of doubt and worry tucked far away in the corner of her mind.

She enjoyed this.

Kazane had never faced off with an opponent with a speed to match hers, not even Genkai, and her laugh echoed through the air as her and Hiei danced like dragonflies on the wind, barely scraping at one another with their attacks. The wind was her home, speed was her comfort, and though Hiei was the fastest demon she'd ever seen she could tell it was taking his all to keep up with her.

Confidence and pride welled up in her, and Kazane laid a barrage of attacks against Hiei, skirting around him effortlessly and going for his most vulnerable areas; any joint, anywhere with a major artery, hell she wasn't against hair pulling or crotch shots. Dirty tactics meant nothing.

The only two in a battle were winner and loser, pride be damned. She knew that from her previous world.

It seemed that Hiei had enough, for he growled, feinting to one side and catching her windpipe in his hand as Kazane retaliated with a knife laid against his throat. She stared into his eyes, ruby matching cerulean, breathing heavily and trying to ignore the insane amount of warmth emanating from the palm of his hand. Despite his short stature he had her lifted a few inches above him, and she glared.

_Do it, then. Fucking do it. _

_I'll cut you down in the same strike._

It seemed he would, the fist clutching his sword ready to strike out at her heart, when Kurama's soothing voice broke through their fixation, and Hiei hesitated for a moment before letting her down onto the grass.

Kazane felt at her neck, knowing the welt was surely there in the shape of a damning fire-demon's hand. She flashed her teeth at him, exposing her sharp incisors, before returning to where Yusuke sat, her breathing labored and heavy.

The detective turned to her with an expression of admiration and surprise.

"What in the hell was that?"

Kazane coughed, trying to get more air through her throat. "Keep up with it all?"

"Barely!" Came a shout to the right, where Kuwabara had one knee on the ground and a foot planted beside him. Kazane smiled despite how irritating the effort to breathe was.

Her brothers were looking out for her.

As she met Hiei's glare she grimaced; so much for strengthening bonds.

* * *

Kazane stared up at the stars from where she lay on the rooftop of the temple, arms crossed behind her head and legs crossed below her. She needed this, some reprieve after the emotionally-charged bullshit of the day. She needed time to relax and unwind.

She knew crossing her legs made her blood pressure elevate. Fuck it, it was comfortable. Her blood pressure was already off the charts, likely.

The stars in this world seemed exactly the same as the ones from her previous life, and she swallowed down a lump in her throat.

The orange cherry of her cigarette end was the only light in the all-encompassing darkness, and she would have ignored the spirit energy hovering in the trees if her senses weren't so heightened. She rolled her eyes, waving a hand in the dark she couldn't even see.

"Stalking is stupid; if you're going to slit my throat at least do it where I can see you."

A few moments of silence passed before a figure blurred into view and Hiei appeared beside her, looking taller than normal as she was laying down on the roof's tiles. Kazane sighed.

"Here to get me back for earlier today?"

The end of her sentence barely intoned at a question, but Hiei looked away all the same. His red eyes seemed focused on the treeline.

"You fought well today."

She hadn't expected words like that to tumble out his mouth, and Kazane choked on her spit, turning to face him with one elbow bent, leaning uncomfortably on the joint as she eyed the demon.

"Is this a trick?" She asked, flicking her cigarette off the roof into the abyss. Hiei huffed.

"I don't use tricks, woman."

Kazane stared at him. She still didn't trust him, but she knew that he was the type to be more forward and forthcoming with his actions than use trickery. If he wanted her dead she would be already. Kazane sighed.

"I'm sorry for what I said earlier."

Hiei's ruby eyes turned to her, probing, but he didn't speak.

"I called you a bastard; that was uncalled for," Kazane elaborated, turning away from his imploring eyes to the twilight sky above them. "I was upset."

"And you channeled that anger into aggression," Hiei responded, his soft but grating voice cutting against the silence well, much to Kazane annoyance. "You used it to the best of your ability, as a true demon should."

Kazane bit at her lip, tasting the cherry of her lipstain. She would have to buy more; the brand lasted through hours of training. Good shit.

"Half demon," She corrected, and she felt the tips of her rounded ears go red for the first time at the admonition. Too human for the demons and too demon for the humans; she was the real bastard here.

Hiei said nothing, simply sitting down gracefully beside her. His black cloak draped his shoulders and figure well. He seemed to disappear in the darkness. He probably intended that, she thought. Asshole.

A pang of regret coursed through her as the thoughts ran through her mind. Hiei was no more guilty of where and when and how he was born than she was. It was just that she knew of a world with an ideal of "you deserve to live just because you are", and "the circumstances of your birth don't define you".

Maybe it was a pipe dream, especially considering the caste system of demon world, but she still believed it with all her heart. Demons could atone. Demons could be good. She knew from watching on a two-dimensional screen; Hiei wasn't as cursed as he condemned himself to be.

Kazane was trying to come up with some subject to turn the conversation toward when Hiei spoke, his voice seeming to echo out of the endless darkness.

"The song at breakfast?"

If her ears were already flushed than surely her whole face was by now. Of course he was listening, the asshole. Humming and singing filled the emptiness, and cooking was a perfect accompaniment to it.

"You didn't even eat what I cooked," Kazane retorted, casting her eyes to a cluster of bushes maybe ten feet away. The deflection did nothing for the demon, who simply eyed her with a heavy stare. Kazane felt it out of the corner of her vision.

What was his problem?

"Did you compose it?"

Kazane sighed, knowing that all of her tactics wouldn't work against the demon. If he was attuned to social nuances he ignored them completely.

"No, I didn't."

Another heavy silence as Kazane watched the lightning bugs dance around the ground before her. Maybe she should have been reborn a bug and spared awkward conversation.

"Wh-"

Interrupting whatever words Hiei was bound to say next the redhead launched into the melody of the song, determined to cut him out whatever the cost. His presence was too distracting, and his blunt questions too on-point.

If she carried anything into this world it was song, food, and the love she had for the ones she knew. If she could honor those she missed with either of those things then she was living well.

"_Some things you'll do for money and some you'll do for fun, but the things you do for love are gonna to come back to you one by one."_

It seemed that her impromptu karaoke session curbed Hiei into submission, and Kazane sighed between verses, leaning back on the roof tiles. She wanted to block everything around her out, but the blistering heat the fire demon exuded, whether he was aware of it or not, was enough to make her falter occasionally in her vocals.

"_Some moments last forever, but some flare out with love, love, love..."_

As Kazane's melody petered off into the night she wrapped herself tighter in her sweater, feeling uncomfortable and cold despite the heat Hiei gave off. She lit another cigarette, waving her hand.

"Hmm, do you know astrology?" Hiei shook his head minutely. "When were you born?"

Again, Hiei shook his head silently, and Kazane huffed.

"Well, let's assume you're a fire sign. It makes sense, so, whatever. Different signs are born depending on when one is born and where the stars align. It's a lot of malarkey if you ask me," She admitted, smiling. "Most of it is made with vague statements so most can relate to whatever dumb prophecy or outcome the stars tell. However," She started, playing with the nails on her left hand. "Fire signs are impulsive, hard to commit, and have a passion for freedom."

She let her words sink in, trying to read Hiei's expression. Much to her chagrin, Hiei just eyed her with impassive eyes, listening silently. Kazane continued anyway.

"There's supposed to be some sort of prophecy with what fates align you according to your sign but don't ask me, I never put much stock in that shit," She admitted, turning her gaze from intense ruby orbs to a twilight sky. "But I do believe some elements work best together."

Hiei stiffened slightly, his fists clenching underneath his robe. Kazane remained blissfully ignorant.

"Of course, it's obvious to say water is the most flexible of signs; able to bend to whatever shape fits them. Earth is stoic, very proud. Air is...hardest to pin down, on account of their flighty impulses," She frowned, trying to recall memories from over a decade ago. She smiled. "But fire, fire is untamed. Fire holds no boundaries; they don't like being tied down, either. Free spirits." So what if her astrological sign in her past life and this one were different, for all she knew? Kazane remained true to her original life, even as time tried to erode her memories. "Fire is volatile, and in flame there is purity. There is no rage or anger truer than flame."

Hiei stood abruptly, eyeing the demoness before him warily, and Kazane stared back in surprise before settling back into her feaux-relaxed position.

"Sorry, I should've known demons had no interest of astrological, elemental bullshit."

Without a word Hiei darted off into the darkness of the forest, and Kazane sighed.

For all her trying what the fuck was it accomplishing?

She settled herself down as comfortably as she could and hummed another melody from memory, idly picking at her cuticles.

* * *

**Note:**

**The song Kazane is singing is Love, Love, Love by the Mountain Goats.**

**In this chapter we have more brash mother-hen'ing from Genkai, and Kazane and Hiei let their tempers get the better of them. Also: I don't think Kazane could win against Hiei. I think he was holding back on her a bit and aside from her insults he was trying to test how good she was in combat. Regardless, he was piiiissed. **

**I have about two more chapters of pre-Dark Tournament training before we start that arc, at least in my head. Who knows. More interactions with Kurama especially coming in those.**

**Special thanks to all my followers and lurkers, and big thanks to Eskimo-Otter, rsaenz18, ChildOfAsmodeus, lisaisfire619, and Alalaes for the reviews.**

**Alalaes: Kazane is nothing if not vain and self-destructive, and sometimes the two don't coincide very well, or in a way that makes sense. Mah.**


	9. The Body is a Blade

Kazane didn't get much sleep that night, and she awoke the next morning, still the first one up, but grumpier than usual. The previous day's mess had bled into her dreams, and she hadn't slept for more than five hours, give or take.

She picked the perfectly crispy bacon off the skillet and nearly threw it across the room when she realized someone else was in the kitchen with her.

"Good morning," Kurama greeted smoothly, amusement playing in his eyes as he took in Kazane's frantic expression.

"Jeez, Kurama, give me a heart attack why don't you." Kazane pressed a hand to her chest dramatically as if to demonstrate how fast her heart was racing. "Do that again and you won't get any breakfast."

"Hmm, well I wouldn't want that to happen."

The demoness prepped the table and sat across from him, taking a light sip of her tea. The smell of breakfast usually woke Yusuke up early enough, and if it didn't she would do the job herself. Kuwabara not being awake at this hour wasn't too surprising, but she was certain Hiei would once again lurk in the trees outside.

She wasn't aware she was spacing out until Kurama waved a hand in her direction, and she immediately straightened in her seat.

"Sorry, what?"

"Are you feeling alright?" The frown he wore was small but effectively portrayed his concern.

Kazane shrugged and waved dismissively "I didn't sleep well last night, it's not a big deal. Sorry for zoning out."

Kurama's eyebrow quirked. Kazane silently fumed at how perfect and well-shaped they were; he probably didn't even pluck them or anything.

"Do you find yourself unable to sleep most nights? Night terrors?"

"Are you trying to psychoanalyze me, Kurama?" Kazane teased. "It's a bit early for that, I'm afraid."

"I apologize. I realize now that's an intrusive question. I do plan on becoming a doctor one day, however."

Kazane eyed him over her mug. She supposed it was natural for someone like Kurama to try to analyze her; he seemed to do it with everyone. Subconsciously an image of Kurama with white hair and golden eyes superimposed on her view of him currently, and she cast away the thought in the blink of an eye.

"A demon becoming a human doctor."

Kurama simply smiled. "You were the one yesterday who said demons shouldn't look down on humans. We are more alike than you may realize."

Kazane was about to respond before Kuwabara barged into the kitchen, a cranky Yusuke in tow. The pair mumbled some 'good morning's before seating themselves and digging into the bacon and eggs.

"Where's Genkai?" Yusuke asked through a mouthful of food, much to Kazane's disgust.

"Close your mouth when you're eating, you brat. I don't know, doing whatever old psychics do when their house is overrun with weirdos."

"Plotting ways to kill us all," The detective murmured back darkly, and Kazane laughed.

"If she wanted to kill us I think she could do it fairly easily."

Over the course of the meal Kazane merely picked at her food, trying hard to ignore a pair of green eyes staring at her over his own cup of coffee. She took back what she thought earlier; no matter if analyzing people was second nature to Kurama it was still unsettling as fuck.

"Where did you gain such a talent for cooking, Kazane?"

The devil speaketh.

"Trial and error," She replied easily, staring back into those damned emerald eyes. "When you live with one other person for most of your life you find hobbies."

It was a half lie, and that's what she knew made it convincing. Nevermind she had gained this skill in another world, it was still the truth.

"Y'know, of all the hobbies I'd expect a demon to have cooking would be last on the list," Kuwabara added, sending her a grin. The sight of a speck of green onion lodged in between his teeth made Kazane want to reach over and pick it out, but instead she opted for a smile. The lovable doofus.

She downed the rest of her tea and went over to the sink, dumping out the dregs and fiddling with her messy bun as she turned to face them.

"People are multifaceted, boys. You can't just assume all demons are the same just like demons can't assume all humans are the same. I mean, Hiei thought humans were idiots until he met you, right Yusuke?"

At her words Yusuke let out a chuckle. "I'm pretty sure he still thinks I'm an idiot."

Kazane let out an eyeroll. "Okay, well, idiot or not I'm sure he was still surprised...to some extent."

"You advocate for humans quite readily, Kazane."

Kurama's soft voice cut through the conversation like a knife, and she turned her gaze on him, trying with all her might not to glare. Maybe she should just stop talking entirely lest he counter her on every sentence.

"When you look at the subjugation demons have caused humans millenia over you tend to get sympathetic," She responded, a note of bitterness creeping into her voice.

She still had scars on her body from Rannon and his men. A lot of them. Demons could be cruel, it was true, but the cruelty they doled out simply because she was half-human was fucking uncalled for.

"Would you care to train with me today?" Kurama asked, his expression as still as stone. "Yusuke will be busy with Genkai, and Kuwabara and Hiei are continuing their practice with his spirit sword."

Damn him.

If she backed out she looked like an asshole. She had no excuse to say no, what with Genkai directing Yusuke's training and nothing really assigned for her for the day. A forcibly pleasant smile crept onto her lips.

"I still have to go through my morning stretches but I would be happy to."

Kurama smiled in response, settling back in his seat.

Even with the lack of sleep Kazane's body fizzled with nervous and irritated energy, and she excused herself as she went out to the temple grounds to try to ground her mind and focus on the stretches.

She breathed in until her lungs felt sore, casting her gaze to where the sun was coming up. It was likely around six AM; she didn't really know. Carrying a watch had never been a habit of hers and she didn't even have a flip phone. Out in the middle of nowhere surrounded by mountains and trees time seemed to come to a standstill. There were alarm clocks and wall clocks in the temple, sure, but she never paid much attention to them. As she crept into downward dog she felt out for spirit energy around her, satisfied when nothing came to her senses.

She was balancing on one leg while holding the other behind her when Kurama's spirit energy approached. It was nice of him to make some noise by crunching the grass beneath his feet. Maybe.

"I have to limber up before any type of training," She began, but Kurama raised a hand at her explanation.

"I understand, flexibility is your strong suit. Don't mind me."

It was unnerving going through the motions of her morning routine with a set of eyes watching that weren't Genkai's, but Kazane ignored it as best she could. She used her irritation to power through the more difficult poses, feeling the slight burning in her calves and quads and cursing Kurama for his company.

When she was sufficiently loose and fluid she approached him, placing a hand on her hip.

"So what kind of training did you have in mind?"

"I was hoping we could really hone your wind abilities," He elaborated, standing up and brushing off nonexistent dirt from his clothes. "I'm sure Genkai has taught you about using the force of wind as a weapon but I have some ideas myself."

Kazane grimaced. "She has. I can use my fans to send cuts of wind through trees and rocks, among other things."

The pair walked together further away from the temple, coming upon an area many feet away in the woods Kazane had previously cleared with her experimentation. Mottled stumps littered the area and many trees sported cuts or had branches completely cleared off. She wondered when he had discovered this clearing, not that it was hard to find.

Maybe Hiei had told him, the dick.

"Yes, using it for attack should be the primary focus," Kurama started. "But using it for deception is a great supplemental strategy. Wind can easily launch particles into the air, creating a dust cloud or some other type of obstruction." He smirked. "It's already difficult enough to follow your movements but with an added blindness enemies would be lost entirely unless their spiritual awareness was rather remarkable."

Kazane paused, staring at Kurama with newfound admiration. So what if he had been prodding her all morning? Those analytical observations were true and important, and she'd be lying if she said she considered using her wind to create a smokescreen. She had been so focused on just brute strength-ing it she hadn't considered a type of finesse to her attacks aside from the willowy grace and immense speed she already possessed.

Oops.

Kurama was really good at turning the switch of her opinion of him.

"That's...a good point," She admitted, flicking her fans in anticipation. "So, what? I just kick up some dirt and swirl it around a bit?"

If Kurama wasn't above rolling his eyes Kazane was sure he would have at her words.

"There's a bit more thought incorporated to it than that," He explained. "Depending on the area you're trying to obscure you'll need to accumulate enough soil to fill up that space. It may stay in the air initially, but you'll need to maintain it to really have the effect you're looking for."

As if to demonstrate his words he used his shoes to kick up clods of dirt in front of him, then motioned to her.

"Try to use this amount to encapsulate me. I think you'll find the more practice the more easily you'll be able to predict the amount of dirt used to create said smokescreen without thinking too much on the mechanics."

Creating a whirlwind was easy; Kazane had been doing it for the earlier parts of her life with Genkai. Maintaining the whirlwind with the dirt was another story, however. It seemed the dirt was heavier than expected, even in it's separated state, and she found she was expending more energy than she had in a while trying to keep up the blinder around Kurama.

Even then, it was only maybe a three foot radius around him. Enough to inflict damage, sure, but she had to keep up the screen whilst maneuvering whatever attacks through it herself.

After the third try Kurama called for her to stop. Even with the strange whirlwind of dirt around him he didn't seem to have a speck on him, much to Kazane's irritation.

"You're doing well," He reassured, giving her a soft smile. "I think we should keep this up until you can cover more ground with it."

It was painstaking, precise work even if it didn't seem so. By the sixth hour Kazane felt the small amount of spirit energy she possessed in her veins. Every muscle in her body was sore, even if there hadn't been much more physical activity than she was used to. She was absolutely spent.

She flopped down onto the long grass underneath a tree, trying to catch her breath and wiping at the sweat at her forehead. So much for trying to look decent today.

She eyed the sky above her, noting the slight intonations in the blue and looking at the thin, wispy clouds. Kurama was almost on par with his ruthlessness as Genkai, and she felt a pang of sympathy for Kuwabara for having to endure training with both Hiei and the fox demon.

Said demon sat beside her, casting a glance before looking up at the sky himself.

"I confess that this morning I was rather blunt," He began, and Kazane looked over in surprise. "I apologize. However," His tone shifted to something darker, and the demoness felt a chill creep up her spine despite her warm muscles and the climate. "There is no use denying there is something you're hiding."

Kazane's first instinct was anger, and she ran her tongue over her sharp incisors. "I think you could make that assumption about most people, Kurama," She bit out, casting her gaze back on the sky. Anything to get away from those all-seeing emerald eyes. "I doubt you'd find one person who doesn't have something buried."

A nod. "That is true." Kazane opted for angry silence, and he continued regardless. "Please know that if you ever cause my colleagues harm I will cut you out of this world myself."

Against her better judgment Kazane snorted, the sound quickly turning into an almost hysterical laugh. She clapped a hand to her mouth as Kurama eyed her warily, looking wholly uncertain as to what to do with her reaction.

"Oh, Kurama," She said between laughs. "I would never. Yusuke is like a brother to me, and Kuwabara is coming up on that milestone. The jury is still out on Hiei, but even though you are as cold and calculating as they come I still like you."

Her laughter stemmed from some insane sense of relief; Kurama was worried for the wellbeing of his friends. If Kazane wasn't overcome with the emotion she would have been angered; did he not think Genkai was a good judge of character? If she even elicited an ounce of malicious intent she was sure Genkai would have obliterated her where she stood. Still, she turned to face him, a warm and open grin on her lips.

"Please believe me, I have the best of intentions for all of you. Every one of you deserve happiness in whatever form that comes."

A stunned silence followed and Kurama's gaze bore into her as he took in her words. Kazane smiled, looking over at one edge of the clearing.

"We have a visitor."

Kuwabara's disheveled and rumpled form strode into view and Kazane watched as he marched up into the clearing with a gleam in his eyes. She would have to patch his clothes, though, they were run ragged already.

"Genkai is wondering where lunch is," Was his eloquent proclamation, and Kazane snorted.

"That old bat is spoiled. Bless her, though."

She stood up, trying to control the shaking in her legs as she stood on unsteady feet. Cautiously, she extended a hand to Kurama, who accepted immediately, albeit with a guarded look in his eyes. Kazane perched herself on her tiptoes and spoke close to his ear.

"Believe me or not, I care more for the four of you than you can comprehend."

Leaving Kurama to contemplate her words she turned to Kuwabara, sending him a warm smile.

"Well, what does Genkai want for lunch?"

"She said something about salmon and rice, but I'd rather have something tempura fried."

"Mmm, I can make something work."

* * *

It was well into evening and Kazane was staring into the warm glow of the fire before her, a blanket draped across her shoulders. She puffed out a cloud of smoke, thinking admirably on how this was one of the first few of the day; Kurama's training had closed her mind out to any vices. Now, alone with her thoughts in the encompassing darkness, however, she took drags like her life depended on it. Maybe she should burn herself out with training to help her quit.

Not that she was scared of the dark, but being alone with her thoughts was always an event in itself. She was crass and loud to the others, but at almost every turn overanalyzing everything. The future, the current situation, the words and body language others exuded. It was too fucking much.

Kurama could already tell that there was something more at play than she exuded. It wasn't too far off from the mark; her original intent had been to befriend Yusuke and Gang to the Dark Tournament to meet Jin, further planning be damned.

As she spent more time with the titular characters, however, she found an obscene amount of hesitation at her completely unplanned plan.

Yusuke was a brother to her, she had not been lying about that. He was brash and crude, the only one able to exchange low-brow jokes with her to the same magnitude. Kuwabara she was fond of too, his gentlemanly ways so far off-base from what she was used to. He was passionate and proud.

A part of her hated herself for knowing the intimate backstories and futures of her friends that they didn't even know. It felt like cheating.

Kazane knew how the Dark Tournament lineups would go. She knew who would realistically be facing who, but the idea of her facing Jin, no matter how unlikely it seemed made her recoil within herself.

She would forfeit, demon tradition be damned. She couldn't harm her brother, the one person who had shown her sympathy and love so early in this life.

It didn't matter, she decided, curling her legs up alongside her in the chair. Jin was by far the strongest on that team, and Yusuke was leader of Team Urameshi. Even if someone prodded her to go forward and fight Jin herself she wouldn't.

Kazane let out a breath of o-rings just as a familiar signature came upon her campfire, and she scoffed into the darkness.

"Must we make a habit of this?"

From the shadows Hiei appeared, his cloak melding into the darkness. He strode forward before sitting stiffly on one of the chairs across from her, and Kazane held in the urge to giggle at his clearly uncomfortable state.

What the hell was he doing here anyway?

"Are you a night owl too?" She asked when he made no reply to her previous words, and ruby eyes turned on her. He didn't answer, and she frowned.

"Whatever, hangout with me if you want but I don't see _why_ you want to. I'm not very stimulating company."

The crackling of the fire was one of the only sounds in her head, next to the rustling of the leaves. It was fitting, she thought; the wind playing about lazily while fire raged in plain view. A perfect picture of her and Hiei sitting in uncomfortable silence.

"You know, being here is so much better than being in demon world," She began, the words coming from her chest before she even thought about it. She had always been a nervous talker. "The air is so much more pure and you just feel so free. I can see why full-blood demons want to take over so bad. When I was in demon world it was the worst. Red skies, power-hungry demons, hoping that every day would be my last so I wouldn't have to live a life of servitude."

She scanned Hiei, noting his slightly clenched fists and rigid demeanor, and she sighed.

"I trust you won't share this with anyone," She began, only continuing when Hiei nodded his head slightly, his eyes boring into hers. "I wanted to die. I was born to a powerful wind demon, the product of rape of one of his human servants. She was good, he told me. She survived demon world's atmosphere, no doubt due to her spiritual awareness. She was brought back from a hunt and kept there for years."

As much as she wanted to, it seemed that nothing could stem this word vomit. The only person she had told this was Genkai, and even then it was very sparse details. Maybe Kurama's probing words earlier had awakened something in Kazane; some inane sense of defending herself. Regardless, she continued, trying to tune out the demon across from her by staring into the fire.

It was a futile effort.

"They tried to abort me," Kazane admitted. "At first it was mostly arbitrary methods. Some strong tea, a surplus of foods containing vitamin C. I know this because my father told me so himself."

Kazane stared into Hiei's eyes, made more alive by the light of her campfire. Maybe it was his silent acquiesce but it compelled her to keep talking, and talk she did.

"Still, I persisted. After my birth Rannon had my mother sent to the outskirts of his land doing hard labor. She was recovering from birthing a child. And Rannon? He didn't give a fuck."

Still, Hiei said nothing, turning his gaze from Kazane's cerulean orbs to the fire before him. She had an idea what he was imagining, reliving. The Koorime, casting him off the side of a cliff and into the abyss simply because he was male and his mother loved a man.

"She died there from fatigue," She continued, a twisted frown sitting upon her face. "He brought her body back himself and showed her to me. 'This is what happens when you're weak and don't know your place'. I lived for years in a shack, trying to count the days. After a while I couldn't find an open space in the wood walls to carve a mark."

It was like some sense of relief, finally explaining it to someone who could possibly comprehend it. Hiei spent decades, longer, likely, in demon world. He knew how demon lords operated, knew how humans were treated.

"You and Kurama may think I'm an idiot for siding on humans," She began, her hands curling into fists. "And that's fine, I don't care. But nobody knows how I lived for years. I was fucked just because my father wanted a piece of ass that was simply human, and I was born."

Again, a partial truth. Kazane was human through and through, even if her bloodlust and instinct for a brawl overpowered occasionally. Her mind was human. Being born into a world where human was a death sentence gave precedence to how little demons thoughts of humans, and she'd use her stupid, logic-defying powers to protect them. Especially the ones she knew would come to mean so much.

The silence was tense and awkward, but Kazane didn't care either way. Whether intentionally or not she had tried to illicit some reaction with her story, and maybe it was the late hour or maybe it was Hiei's solemn countenance, but she needed to tell someone. She had been preparing for Kurama's insight for years, but encountering it firsthand was something entirely different. Even if his intentions were pure he investigated into some of the barest of questions she didn't want to answer aloud, and Kazane had a chapped ass about it.

The uncomfortable atmosphere was becoming too much, and Kazane huffed, tossing a lock of hair behind her.

"Sorry for being such a killjoy," She mumbled, wrapping herself tighter in the blanket.

"What's a killjoy?"

The first words Hiei had spoken since he sat down, and they were ridiculous.

Kazane laughed. "Y'know, someone who really puts a damper on things. A debbie-downer." Her second response seemed to cause further confusion, for Hiei's brows knit together. Kazane sighed. "I wasn't in a super great mood when you came over, and I think I took it out on you a bit. I apologize."

Hiei stared at her for a moment before standing.

"Come with me."

Kazane whined. "It's cold though."

"Don't make me ask again, woman."

Muttering obscenities the redhead tossed her blanket aside and followed, crossing her arms in an attempt to keep her body heat in. She followed him through the darkness for probably fifteen minutes, out past the temple grounds into a semi-cleared part in the forest. Maybe the man was plotting to kill her after all.

They approached the center of the clearing, and Hiei backed up a few feet away. His ruby eyes seemed to glow in the nighttime, and Kazane shivered, this time not from the cold.

"Attack me."

The demoness gaped. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I said, attack me," Hiei hissed, clearly impatient with her.

Irritation bristled. She wasn't ready for a fight; she hadn't even stretched and though she was carrying her weapons (as she always did except to bed), having a moonlight spar with a particularly annoying fire demon wasn't on her to-do list tonight.

"As romantic as this is," She drawled sarcastically. "I'm going to have to decline."

She began making her way back toward where they came from when she felt movement, and she stilled as something unnervingly fast and bladed came dangerously close to the expanse of her neck. She turned, catching the small lock of hair Hiei had cleanly cut with his sword.

That son of a _bitch._

He had returned to his previous position, his drawn sword the only indication he had moved. Kazane instantly grabbed for her knives, twirling them around her fingers as she crouched into a ready stance.

"No wonder you're such a hit with the ladies," She snarled, feeling her spirit energy swell as she beckoned it, and then she darted forward.

There wasn't time to think much with Hiei as her opponent; he was too fast for anything but instinct to take over, the years of training Genkai had provided to her making themselves apparent as she weaved between his attacks. The clang of metal against metal overpowered the sound of the rustling leaves, and Kazane felt that same frantic euphoria creep into her veins as it had the previous day. She flitted about in the darkness, the overwhelming fatigue and self-deprecation of earlier dwindling away into determination and anger.

Somewhere in the middle of everything Hiei's cloak got caught in the fight, and it now lay torn on the ground beside where they exchanged blows.

In a moment of surprise and weakness, Kazane paused before attacking, her eyes running over the musculature of his arms. She barely had time to feel the embarrassment or correct herself before a blow to her stomach knocked the wind out of her chest and she was sent backwards, her heels digging into the ground to try and steady herself. She was lucky Hiei had used only the butt of his weapon instead of the bladed end.

Kazane rasped, using one of her knives to dig into the dirt and support herself in some way as she caught her breath.

"You hesitated," Hiei called, and she felt the tips of her ears blush furiously.

"I'm tired, you asshole. You're the one who instigated a fight out of nowhere." Like hell she was going to tell him she got distracted looking at his stupid muscles, as nice as they were.

Whatever, it didn't matter. The were attached to Hiei and like hell she'd ever admire him. Asshole.

The demon merely 'hmmph'ed, sheathing his weapon and turning to drape his cloak back over his shoulders. Kazane sighed, standing on shaky legs and putting away her knives. Ignoring the pair of ruby eyes watching her she headed back towards the temple, cursing the existence of one fire demon. His presence disappeared as she extinguished the fire and went into the structure, and she felt her shoulders relax.

Actually, every part of her body seemed infinitely more relaxed than it had earlier, with the exception of her now bruised stomach. As she braided her hair and slipped under the covers a startling thought came to her.

Maybe Hiei called for her to face off against him to work off some of the tension and aggression she was clearly exhibiting. Fighting did seem to help with whatever was stressing her out.

With a snort she closed her eyes. Nah, no way.

* * *

The time until the tournament seemed to get eaten up quickly.

Most days were surprisingly spent with Kurama, who seemed much more at ease in Kazane's presence than during their first session together. In the mornings Kazane would wake, cook breakfast, enjoy light chatter with everyone, and then go off to Kurama's instruction. The lessons were exhausting, and Kazane found herself falling into much-needed dreamless sleep earlier than usual. Yusuke was much the same, eating ravenously at breakfast, training with Genkai until who knew when, and then passing out like a rock immediately afterwards.

Sometimes she would join in on Kuwabara's training. It took a stupid amount of nagging him to actually face her seriously in spars, Hiei rolling his eyes on the sidelines, but when he did she was more than pleasantly surprised. He was slower than Yusuke, but hit almost as hard, and true to its appearance his spirit sword stung like lightning. He always made an effort to apologize profusely after they were finished.

Kazane was singing more, not just at breakfast time. Anytime there was a lull in the motion of things she found herself unconsciously filling the silence up with a hum or a melody, only realizing it when Kuwabara pointed out certain songs he enjoyed. The increase of stress was taking a toll on her.

She was thankful for the pressure Kurama was putting on her in their lessons; not only was she improving dramatically, and in much different ways, but the fatigue was welcome as it usually left her without the night terrors she had grown accustomed to.

On the occasion she couldn't sleep, or just plain didn't want to, she lit the usual fire. Sometimes Hiei would sit across from her in silence and sometimes she could feel his spirit energy hovering in the foliage around her. It was a strange juxtaposition; a comfort and an irritation. It caused some sort of uncomfortable feeling to twinge in her gut, and she heartily shoved it away as she tried to focus on her training and the upcoming battles.

During the day, if the fire-demon even showed up at any point to spar or whatever other reason, the two spat insults back and forth so often it made the others uncomfortable, with the exception of Yusuke, who got a real kick out of their verbal disputes.

The day before they were to depart for the tournament Kazane sat with Genkai out on the porch, sipping tea and watching as a butterfly passed their line of vision. The redhead tried to quell her nerves in the psychic's dormant yet familiar spirit energy that hummed around them.

"You're coming with us, aren't you?" Kazane asked softly, resting her head on one of the wooden supports.

Genkai looked over, her brown eyes analyzing, probing, before turning back to face the grass and closing her eyes.

"I will be the backup fighter," Genkai admitted, and Kazane felt her stomach sink.

"What if we need the spirit wave? Surely Yusuke hasn't managed it by now?"

The ensuing silence, on a surface level, was peaceful and calm, but Kazane felt her nerves hum beneath her skin. She hadn't really thought about the implications her presence at the tournament would cause until now. After a night terror that left her shaking in a cold sweat she had removed the book from the shelf, running over the words she had penned years ago, and jotted down on new papers everything she could remember about the tournament fights, coupled with the notes she had taken.

The glaring detail she forgot was that there was a team fighting against their will, their souls only cleansed with Genkai's spirit wave.

"He's close enough," Genkai said, a note of finality in her voice, and Kazane frowned.

There was something else as well, but try as she could she couldn't remember it, and even her nightmares gleaned nothing into whatever she was forgetting.

With a sigh she stood up, taking both empty cups and retreating into the kitchen, some unnameable weight on her shoulders.

Yusuke was dead asleep in his room, and so the only ones around were Kurama, Kuwabara, and surprisingly, Hiei. They all sat in the living room area, Hiei on the windowsill and the other two across from each other on the sofas. Kazane stood in the entryway to the room, looking in on the boys.

This was the last night they would be allowed some reprieve before the shitshow started, the last night all of them would be together without thoughts of the tournament in the forefront of their minds. Even now she was sure every one of them was thinking on it to some degree. It had consumed most of her day, even throughout training.

Soundlessly she marched into the kitchen and cleared the counter, prepping cutting boards and bowls and any utensil she might need. They wouldn't be here for a while; the food in the fridge would go bad. Might as well keep her hands busy and feed some bodies before it rotted.

Kazane was furious in her preparations, dicing and chopping like a madwoman, rushing back and forth from the counter to the stovetop and oven, switching out the pots when one dish was completed. Soon the temple was filled with the smell of deliciously seasoned food, some heads even poking in to observe her progress. Though she couldn't catch them in the act, small bits of all their favorite dishes went missing in the fray, crumbs on Kuwabara's jacket the only indication at what was happening. Once she caught a blur of black as she laid the salmon onto a plate, but she wasn't able to turn around quick enough to catch Hiei (who else could it be?) in the act.

"It's not going anywhere, you jerks!"

Even Genkai's bubblegum hair was spotted once, but only briefly. Several sashimi pieces missing from the surface Kazane had carefully plated seconds prior.

Between the yells and grunts of boys shoving their way at the food Kazane's voice crooned over the sizzle of meat, using everything in her arsenal to quell the anxiety humming beneath her skin. One of her favorites, and one she would not doubt be unable to hear again in this life. Her voice wasn't amazing, a little too alto for some of her preferred songs, but she didn't care.

Music had comforted her isolation in demon world, and now it comforted her in the wake of a gigantic, death-filled tournament.

She finished setting the table, now adorned with everyone's favorites and then some, and sighed, wiping the sweat from her brow.

"It's ready, and would've been sooner if you weren't all such thieves!"

It took barely seconds for the boys and Genkai to head into the dining area, Kuwabara the only one actually running to the table. Kazane stood back, taking a breath and watching as everyone dug in with gusto, Kurama and Genkai the only ones remotely polite. Even Hiei was seated and eating; something that was a rare occurrence. Usually she left some food out on the porch, wrapped tight in cellophane. She could never catch him in the act of actually taking it or eating it, but the first instance her back was turned after she placed it out there it usually disappeared.

Kazane sat, one leg draped under her and the other outstretched, and began filling her plate. To her right Kuwabara and Hiei were engaged in some light insult-exchange. To her left Genkai and Kurama sat, eating their chosen foods delicately. Kurama's eyes met hers, and she paused at the look behind the emerald orbs. There was a warmth there, a kind of understanding. She smiled back, flushing when she felt a grain of rice slip out the corner of her mouth.

"Don't worry, we're going to pulverize those guys so hard they won't even know their own names."

Kazane looked over at Kuwabara, acknowledged his almost glowing confidence, his smile. Was it really so obvious her nerves were frayed today?

As she took in Kuwabara's excited grin, Kurama's own encouraging smile, and Hiei's gaze she felt something settle in her chest. She thought of Yusuke completely passed out and no doubt snoring in his bed. Her anxiety was nowhere near abated, but a new goal had formed in her head.

Protect her boys.

* * *

**Note:**

**We are a day away from the tournament and here we have the wonderful montage of training and dysfunctional family bonding. Hoorah.**

**Up until now a lot of stuff hasn't changed too drastically from canon. I can't say that'll continue.**

**Much love and many hugs to all of my followers and lurkers, and a big round of applause to rsaenz18, cocobyrd87, and Vienna22 for the reviews. Y'all humble me.**


	10. Muscle'n Flo

"Heading to an island named Hanging-Neck is really setting the tone for this little adventure," Kazane quipped, hugging her denim jacket tighter in an attempt to keep in some body heat. At least she had been reborn in an era with awful fashion she loved; denim jackets, not to mention high-waisted jeans on men were to die for.

"Oh yeah, I'm sure it'll be champagne and caviar from here on out," Yusuke added in sarcastically, throwing back a full grin in her direction.

As if getting up and heading out after evening wasn't bad enough they had to traipse through some godforsaken woods to get to where the boat was being docked. Not that she had gotten much sleep, all things considered. Probably four hours if she was being generous.

Aside from her time in Demon World and at Genkai's tournament she hadn't been in a place with so much obvious and pungent energy swarming about.

"Man, look at all these guys!" Kuwabara exclaimed, his whisper still loud enough for most to hear. "So freaky."

"You're lucky you became friends with demons that look relatively normal," Kazane replied, not taking her eyes off said demons before her. Again she was internally grateful to be blessed with no horns or strange tongues.

The ferryman was, in all seriousness, the funniest man she had ever seen. Dude was a walking stereotype for pirates, hook hand and all. The six of them, along with every other body in the vicinity, followed him on board his ominous-looking ship, and despite the serious mood Kazane felt her spirits rise just listening to the guy talk.

As she stepped on the wooden planks she wondered where the hell he stored the boat when it wasn't in use.

Being on a boat was nice, even if it was likely to her death. She leaned against the railing and hunched down into a yanki squat, hanging her head between her legs. Yusuke followed suit, slumping against the metal like a sack of potatoes.

"You look like you're taking a shit," He said, leaning his head back.

Kazane turned to head to send him a glare. "And you look like shit."

"And yet I still look better than you," Yusuke replied, his words interrupted halfway with a yawn.

"Pffft, I'd like to see you pull off this outfit with as much finesse."

She had spent a laboriously long time in the shower before they departed, an act which elicited a ton of complaining from the boy next to her. There were showers and whatever other amenities at the island, sure, but spending time under a stream of water in your own temple was somewhat therapeutic. Well, Genkai's temple. Whatever.

Kazane was as hairless as a dolphin and smelled like jasmine and green tea, and although she was confident in her appearance and outfit choice she was now regretting all her efforts. Who knew what kind of creeps were hanging around on this boat.

"I thought cruises were supposed to have pretty girls," Kuwabara whined, and Kazane snorted.

"It seems you're in company with the only pretty girl here, my dude."

"We're not on vacation, you know," Kurama cut in, leaning against the side gracefully with his eyes closed.

Normally Kazane would disagree, but at the moment she was a weird combination of physically lethargic and mentally wired, and instead she opted to unzip her backpack and take out the lemper rolls she had made the previous night, taking care with who got which ones. While Kurama would never complain about the amount of chiles she put in them, Kuwabara could barely handle it, his face turning crimson after the first bite. Hiei, fittingly enough, preferred spicier foods, as did Genkai. She chose to wolf down Yusuke's portion as he was already asleep like a fucking rock.

"Do you always carry food like a pack mule?" Hiei asked, observing the roll in his hand.

"I mean, sometimes," Kazane huffed. "Like any of you have a right to complain; I have no idea how long we're going to be on this boat."

"Out of curiosity, how much food do you have on hand at the moment?"

At Kurama's question Kazane cocked her head, making a mental inventory.

"I didn't have a lot of room what with the clothes and my toiletries. Currently, half a pound of beef jerky, six onigiri, a bag of dried fruit, and a couple candy bars in case someone has a sweet tooth. The onigiri is in an insulated pack."

In an instant she regretted mentioning the candy bars. It was her who had a sweet tooth, and like hell she would share with the boys. Maybe.

"Alrighty, mateys, turn your head to the captain's deck," Demon pirate called, his voice causing a grin to spread on Kazane's face. "It's still going to be quite a time before the ship finds her way to the harbor. So we'll be having some entertainment to keep you from getting rowdy."

"Oh great," The redhead groaned, wiping her hands on her leggings. Her smile disappeared just as quickly as it appeared.

"The preliminary battles of the tournament will be fought here on me trusty ship!"

Immediately Kazane rose, dipping into her stretches and wincing as she felt her joints pop and muscles complain. Better to get it out of the way now before all the action started. It really was some bullshit, though. What if there were demons on board just to make the way to the tournament with no intention of participating? How many boats were there even?

What an embarrassment they would be if they couldn't even handle a shipload of lower-class demons before the actual tournament started.

"What the heck are you doing?" Kuwabara cried, nudging Kazane with an elbow.

"A preliminary for the competition, you oaf," Hiei replied, cutting off Kazane's next words. "Which means we'll be fighting these nothings shortly."

"Now that we can't go anywhere," Kurama added.

A dirty, blood-soaked tournament financed by money-hungry black market humans. Underhanded culling of the weakest participants was fitting, if not shady as hell.

Maybe Kazane shouldn't have made that speech a month ago about siding with humans, or at least, given an addendum for which humans she sided with.

She gripped the railing tightly as the entire ship rattled, noting with reluctant admiration that somehow Hiei was still perched _on top_ of it. The floor drew apart, exposing a gigantic fighting ring, and Kazane scoffed, wishing Yusuke was awake to see the shenanigans.

"What a waste," She remarked, and once again Kuwabara turned to look at her with distress imminent in his eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"Well obviously since there are humans on our team and these two," She motioned with a thumb to Hiei and Kurama. "Are slated as demon traitors nearly everyone will be after our blood. I don't think a ring is going to be necessary."

"Fifteen teams have already been chosen for the Dark Tournament," Pirate McGee continued. "They're awaiting your arrival. That means, out of all of you on my ship only one team will compete on dry land."

The crowd's cheering was uproarious, and Kazane grimaced, fiddling with the her fans at her side in irritation. As if on cue some large idiot from the demon throng appeared near Kuwabara, and she felt her energy hum beneath her fingertips.

"You know these guys are pretty big when you see them standing right next to you and everything," Kuwabara chattered, and Kazane strode up to him, socking a good punch in his shoulder.

"Get it together. These guys are nothing compared to what we'll face in the real lineups."

"Shouldn't Urameshi be facing these chumps?"

She gestured over to where Yusuke was out like a log. "Master Genkai's training wore him out. Leave him be; we'll need him once the real matches start." She grinned mischievously. "Unless all that training was for nothing and you're too chicken to be the acting leader of Team Urameshi?"

Amidst Kuwabara's squawking at Kazane's words, Genkai strode out towards the ring, her face wrapped tight in cloth.

Kazane wondered how nostalgic and strange this must be for Genkai, if she also traveled to the tournament on a boat like this, albeit alongside Toguro and whoever else. To spend fifty years of your life trying to bury the past, only to have it come rearing its ugly head after so long in peace and seclusion, what a fucking bother.

Switching to a lighter topic for her own sanity Kazane wondered why Genkai didn't opt for a different outfit. Kurama and Hiei were sporting fashionable new looks (at least for their standard fare), and only Kuwabara was wearing his usual attire. Despite her previous thoughts about quitting, all the stress was getting to her and she lit a cigarette, waving a hand at Kuwabara's exclamations on Genkai getting in the ring. She was stronger than all of them at the moment combined, she'd be fine.

In all honesty, watching Genkai fight was always a sight Kazane relished, and as she watched her guardian dispatch of the horde of demons with one fist and some spirit energy she smiled, laughing as most were thrown into the water around them.

"I guess that explains why Yusuke can sleep so peacefully on a boat full of demons," Kurama said, and Kazane sighed.

"That bonehead would sleep through a nuclear fallout. Incoming."

As the demons closed in on all of them Kazane edged her way over to where Yusuke was sleeping, keeping a guarded stance before him and flicking her fans anxiously in her hands.

It didn't take very long for a few to appear before her, obviously intent on assassinating the sleeping detective.

"Get out of the way, girlie. It's for your own good."

Instead of replying Kazane flicked a fan in Ugly's direction, and in an instant his head tilted backwards, away from his body, off his neck, and tumbled to the ground in a wet cracking sound. Arterial spray burst from him, purple in color, effectively drenching the deck.

The remaining three demons hissed out a string of curses before launching forward, and Kazane swiftly made use of her daggers, aiming killing blows at each of them. It was quick work, and over before she could blink more than twice.

She took a step back, cleaning her knives off before sheathing them once more, and she looked around at the bodies littered across the ship, the only ones standing the boys and Genkai.

Something painful twinged in her gut, and she stared down at the demon she had decapitated first. When had she become so fine with killing? Was it the demon blood in her veins, the part of her that lived for a good fight? Was her own morality so fucked she didn't care anymore?

Rationalizing the thoughts away with the idea of the next tournament fights she strode over to where her compatriots were all facing the island coming into view before them.

"This is going to be wild you guys!"

She looked over at Kuwabara. The boy had just killed a handful of demons and now he was standing completely unperturbed by the whole thing. He was what, fourteen? Fifteen? And already used to whatever came with taking a life, no matter how insignificant it might seem.

"What a terrible name," Kazane forced sarcastically. "It doesn't even look like a hanging neck."

* * *

After they had docked there was another annoying trek across the rocky terrain before a hotel came into view, and the redhead wanted to nearly weep at the sight. After a mountain hike, a bumpy ship ride, dealing with furious demons, and a final walk onto the island she was already exhausted, and nothing had even really started yet.

"Are we really staying here?" Kuwabara asked, looking up at the expanse of the structure.

"Beats roughing it outdoors," Kazane replied, hefting Yusuke up higher on her back. Without Genkai's training there was no way she would have been able to carry him piggyback otherwise. Kid weighed a ton.

The second she stepped through the glass doors with the entourage she frowned. Obviously rich and elegantly dressed humans milled about on the ground floor, all sporting smug looks on their faces and jewelry more expensive than her entire belongings.

Hot as she may look she was feeling way too underdressed.

"The best of the evening, gentlemen, and lady. The hotel has been expecting you."

Kazane snorted at the man before her. A lady she was definitely not.

"Please, follow me."

They made their way across the room and Kazane eyed the surprisingly empty bar as they passed, making a mental note to visit it if it thinned out eventually.

"I got a bad feeling about the people in here," Kuwabara said, a hard frown set on his face. "I never trust grown-ups dressed that fancy."

"That's smart, seeing as they're all no doubt rich, pompous assholes here to see some bloodshed."

The hotel really was way too fancy for words, all gold embossing and plush carpet. Their room seemed to be some floors up, which was fine. Kazane really didn't want to have to deal with more people in the building than she had to.

The gentleman who escorted them handed them the keys before bading them goodnight, and Kazane plopped Yusuke unceremoniously onto one of the couches, throwing her pack next to it and settling down.

"They sure know how to make things pretty!" Kuwabara admired, looking around the room.

This main area was super 90s; purple rug, red walls, gold trim along it. Whoever was in charge of the decor deserved to be shot.

"Not really my taste," She admitted, kicking the ottoman closer to her and resting her feet. "It's too bare."

Her mood perked up considerably as a bellboy (or something) came into the room, toting a tray filled with coffee. At least she could say they probably wouldn't be poisoned. Everyone was here to watch a good fight, and poisoning the esteemed guests seemed pointless.

As if reading her thoughts Kuwabara started to speak but Kazane simply picked up her cup and took a long drink, raising a brow at the boy.

"Ack! Kazane!"

"Relax, Kuwabara. There'd be no fighting if they did poison us. Just enjoy your-"

Her consoling words were cut short, and she set her cup down gently on the table before lifting her gaze to the cabinet on the other side of the room.

"And just what the hell do you think you're doing here?"

At her comment every pair of eyes turned to see the small boy with Yusuke's missing cup in his hands, a mischievous smile playing about his lips. If Kazane thought the room's décor was dated then the kid's clothes were infinitely more distressing.

"How did you get in here?" Kurama asked, rising with the others. Kazane remained where she sat, fixing the small child with a glare as she played with a lock of red hair.

"He must have been hiding in the room before we even got in!" Kuwabara yelled, but the boy's voice responded immediately.

"Fibber fibber! I came through the door after you got here! Isn't that what good boys are supposed to do? Oops, I guess I did forget to knock, though." He took another sip. "So you guys are the guests aren't you? You're so lucky! Oh, my name is Rinku by the way. I'm on the Rokuyukai team that you're fighting tomorrow!"

It was like some strange kubuki theater was taking place in their hotel room, and Kazane finally stood, a hand at her hip.

"Jesus christ, kid. How old are you even? Don't you know if you drink coffee when you're that young you'll be short forever?"

Another grin on Rinku's lips. "Is that why you're so much shorter than everyone else? Well, except that one, I guess." He pointed over to Genkai's covered features.

"Why don't you tell me that again after you get your ass kicked," Kazane hissed back, her anger getting the better of her.

"Oh, you guys are nothing special. I got real excited when I heard about you, but honestly I'm disappointed!"

"Don't you think you're talking too much?"

Another random person appearing in their hotel room. Lovely.

Kazane looked over the newcomer, rolling her eyes as she took in his baggy white pants tucked into...boots? Okay, maybe the fashion wasn't actually so good.

"What? Who is he? Somethin's wrong, I didn't sense either of them coming." Kuwabara cried, a pale sweat forming on his face.

The two opposing demons made their way out of the room, and before the door could close behind them Zeru let out some kind parting words.

"Enjoy your last night with the living. Let's just say that tomorrow will see you strongly resembling your coffee cup."

The cup in question cracked in half, its contents spilling over the table, and Zeru finally closed the door.

Kazane stood up to grab some paper towels, shooting a glance at where Yusuke was still passed out.

"That testosterone-fueled show gave me a headache," She said, mopping up the spilled liquid and grabbing the ceramic pieces. She cast a look over at Genkai. "Think he's compensating for something?"

Kuwabara's face turned scarlet at her words. "K-Kazane!"

"Someone's gotta lighten the mood after all that," She defended, chucking the paper towels into the garbage. "And seriously, what a stupid intimidation tactic. What is sneaking into our room and cracking a cup going to do?"

Kurama shot her a small smile. "Glad to see you're feeling optimistic."

Kazane responded with a shrug. "I am going to take a bath, and then I am going to sleep. I'll stay in whichever room Hiei's supposed to be staying in since I doubt he'll use that bed anyway."

With a wave of her hand she picked up her backpack and disappeared into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. She probably should have asked if they needed to use it beforehand, but whatever. They could make do; if Yusuke were awake he'd probably be thrilled to take a piss off a balcony this high.

* * *

One calming bath and a cup of sake later, Kazane was sitting at the windowsill in the living room area, a plush robe wrapped around her figure and another cup in her hands, this time tea. The warmth was nice, and she was right; the hotel was definitely way too cold. She had turned the thermostat up just a little, knowing the boys would notice if it was as warm as a sauna.

It was too dark to see much out past the lights of the hotel grounds, but the glass against the side of her forehead was cool and soothing.

Everyone else had gone to bed, Yusuke's snoring figure the only one in the room, and Kazane let out a yawn. She probably wouldn't be able to sleep anyway, her nerves bugging her as much as they were. She closed her eyes, softly humming to herself.

Sensing another presence in the room she called out, not opening her eyes.

"Jeez, even away from the temple you still-"

No, the signature was different. Kazane turned to look at the other person in the room, and promptly choked on her tea as Kurama stared back at her, a confused expression painting his features.

"I'm...sorry?" He said hesitantly, and Kazane sighed, shaking her head.

"I'm sorry. I thought you were...someone else."

A quirked brow was Kurama's response as he took a seat next to Kazane on the windowsill, looking out into the night.

"May I ask who you were expecting?"

She could feel the flush creeping up her neck towards her ears, and the demoness pursed her lips.

"Hiei always bugs me when I'm having time to myself," She admitted, knowing that if she lied Kurama would see it plain as day on her face. "That jerk."

"It's strange for him to seek the company of another person. He's quite the lone wolf."

Kazane puffed out a sigh. "Honestly I think he just does it to freak me out." A stiff and awkward silence followed her words, and she quickly changed the topic. "Are you nervous?"

Kurama cast her a glance but said nothing at the sudden turn in conversation. She thought he had been asleep, but more than likely only Yusuke was getting rest tonight, even with the insane thread count of the sheets.

"I would be lying if I said this tournament didn't put me on edge."

Every word Kurama used in conversation was carefully chosen, just formal enough to be polite but still with that air of coldness to it. His mask was flawless, and Kazane lamented it. Even with spending so much time together she hadn't seen it slip save for the incident where he threatened her. She took another sip of her tea before getting up and heading into the kitchen.

If Kurama was wondering what she was doing he didn't voice it aloud, merely waiting patiently at the windowsill. In a few minutes Kazane was back with a second cup of tea, and she handed it to him, paper towel wrapped around the sides.

"Be careful, it's hot."

"Thank you."

What was it about demons that preferred to just sit in silence? Well, Kurama's company was certainly less uncomfortable than Hiei's by miles. Again, she felt the words come forth before she could keep them in check.

"I know we'll be fine, but still. I'm scared."

Kurama drank from his tea before replying, his green eyes reading over her face. "You use your bravado and brashness to cover up that fact."

Once more she felt the flush on her ears, except this time it was due to shame. Kazane grimaced, running a hand through her hair.

"Shame you can read me so well."

"You and Yusuke are more similar than I think you'd both like to believe."

It was true, honestly. There was a reason Kazane had taken such a liking to him. They both made stupid jokes, insulted others as a sign of affection, let their anger get the better of them. Yet, he was more genuine in a way she couldn't be. He had a knack of wrangling friends from enemies. A cool, dark sensation pressed its way into her stomach and she felt a tightness in her throat.

She didn't belong here.

"Sorry if I've kept you awake," Kazane said, getting up to put her mug away. She padded towards the rooms before turning back to look at Kurama, the moonlight framing his face and features so well. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Kazane."

As she expected Hiei wasn't in the room, no doubt loitering around somewhere with foliage, and she tied her hair into a braid, sinking into the bedding. It wasn't the monstrosity of blankets and pillows on her floor at home, but still soft. A little too soft for her liking.

She hovered slightly off the bed, memorizing patterns in the ceiling. She wouldn't get much, if any sleep tonight, it seemed.

* * *

Kazane woke up in a cold sweat, tangled up in the mess of hotel blanket around her. The sun outside the window indicated that it was already early, and probably time for everyone to head to the arena.

"Fuck," She whispered. "Fuck, fuck, fuck." Cursing always helped to keep the images away and relieve some of the tension in her shoulders, and this morning was no different.

She grimaced, a loud sigh expelling from her mouth, and slowly got up. She pushed the damp sheets off of her and headed out to the living area, taking in the boys seated at the table and digging in to whatever food room service provided.

"Man, Kazane, I was hoping you'd be up earlier!" Kuwabara called, a frown on his face. "This hotel has some good food but nobody can make the veggies like you."

A warm feeling settled in her chest and Kazane smiled, feeling some of the darkness of her nightmares chased away by Kuwabara's words. She hummed softly, grabbing a cup of coffee before making her way towards the window and peering out.

The sky was a clear blue, the grass below unbelievably green, and Kazane sighed. At least if she died today it would be with a beautiful sky above her head, and not a damnable red one. She set her cup down on the windowsill.

"Alright everyone," She called, clapping her hands. "We're going to make Team Rokuyukai our bitch today!"

She could feel Genkai's judgmental stare on her, but instead Kazane focused on Kuwabara's roar of reciprocation, and Kurama's small smile. Hiei simply stared at her from his place on another windowsill.

After changing into her outfit for the day and making sure she had every weapon on her (multiple times), she headed back out into the living area, picking Yusuke up onto her back and heading out with her teammates.

Time to face her fears.

* * *

**Note:**

**Iiiiit's tournament time. So excited for this arc.**

**Something important to note is that Kazane's stress and anxiety about everything is slowly creeping to the surface, even if she's trying not to show it around the others.**

**Many hugs and kisses to all my followers and lurkers, and extra special thanks to rsaenz18 and xenocanaan for the reviews. Y'all rule.**


	11. Genghis Khan

Kazane had thought she had been prepared for the tournament's spectators but clearly she was wrong.

As she walked out onto the grass with the boys and Genkai in tow she felt herself becoming tense, clinging onto the detective's thighs with a tighter grip than necessary.

"_Get off our grass you filthy humans!"_

"_Let him fight, he can pay for what he's done to us!"_

Like hell they were going to land a finger on any of them.

"This is sure one heck of a greeting for special guests," Kuwabara muttered, and Kazane huffed in agreement, giving Genkai a look as the psychic was left near the lip of the ring. She was the alternate and so had no place in the fights, much as Kazane wanted to see her cream everyone here. She had already done that decades ago, though.

Koto was cute, even with whatever strange outfit she was wearing. High-waisted, hot pink shorts down to mid-thigh? An ascot...thing? Kazane liked her boots though. With a start she realized that maybe she focused so much on the minute details so as not to freak out about the overarching danger of their situation. It couldn't be healthy to focus on dated fashion as much as she did.

As she followed her teammates into the ring of the arena she stared at each of the competitors. Surely Hiei would still take on Zeru, and most likely Kuwabara and Rinku would face off, which left her with...? Who? Did Genkai even fight anyone originally?

"As always the terms of fighting for each match can be decided by the leaders of the two teams. Of course, if the leaders can't agree we'll default to one-on-one fights, determining the winning team by the most individual wins. Make sense?"

Kazane reached a leg out to kick Kuwabara in the shin at Koto's words, gesturing to where Zeru was standing and giving him a pointed look.

"Alright, let's do this tournament-terms thing!"

Kazane adjusted Yusuke's position on her back, groaning internally at the scent of his tepid breath. The feel of conflicting energy was causing her a headache, and she glared at where Zeru and Kuwabara were muttering to each other, locked in an intense staring contest.

Men.

"Sounds like an agreement! We're looking at one on one!"

The team started back toward the edge, and as Zeru's energy coalesced into flames around him Kazane turned around, feeling her anger bubbling to the surface. All of these stupid displays of male dominance, all of these stupid intimidation tactics. She was well and thoroughly sick of it.

"God, dude, keep it in your pants!" She cried, the wind rustling around and batting away the latent flames. "You're so threatened by us you need to showboat, just save it for the fights."

Two pairs of eyes turned to her, one brown and one ruby, and Kazane hissed before continuing towards the lip of the ring.

Whatever, his stupid flames weren't anything special, he'd find that out soon enough.

She ignored Kuwabara's attempts to wake up Yusuke from where she sat him on the grass, turning towards Hiei. His eyes were narrowed, glaring at Zeru.

"Beat him to a pulp, please."

An amused smile played about Hiei's lips as he glanced over at the redhead. "As if I'd do anything else."

Kazane hovered angrily above the grass in lotus, arms crossed before she readjusted her bun. As predicted Rinku strolled out into the center of the ring, Kuwabara quickly following suit.

As she watched the beginnings of the match unfold she looked around the crowd, feeling out with her senses for a certain spirit energy. It really was no use, there were too many demons here, and even if she had memorized Jin's energy from years ago she couldn't find him amidst this chaos. She had hoped he would be here to observe the team, but if he was she couldn't sense him.

That Rinku brat was fast, as much as she wanted to begrudgingly admit. The kid treated the fight like playtime, and again she wondered how old he was. Full demons aged differently, right? Maybe? Kurama was centuries old no doubt, but this kid still looked like he should be in elementary school.

"Hey, how old do you think that kid is?" She asked, nudging Kurama gently. He cocked his head slightly before answering.

"It's hard to say, likely only a few decades old."

Holy shit, what?

"You mean to tell me that kid is as old as a college student? Older?" Kazane asked, nearly dropping from her hover at his words.

"Human aging and demon aging are different," He elaborated, giving her an amused smirk. "Although I believe his childishness is more an aspect of his personality than a tell on his true age."

Kuwabara, unbelievably, was able to keep up with Rinku better than Kazane could have predicted, and she watched in surprise as her ginger friend not only followed the brat's movements to a T but was able to land a few good blows on him without the aid of his spirit sword.

"It seems your spars with the oaf helped him more than we thought," Hiei muttered, and Kazane glanced in his direction before staring back out onto the field.

The fight was over in less time than Kazane could have believed, Rinku barely taking out his yo-yos and Kuwabara barely unsheathing his spirit sword before everything had settled in dust.

She had thought her idea of training together would help the team, but had it really helped Kuwabara so much?

"A win?" She asked breathlessly, not believing her own eyes.

As Kuwabara hopped and skipped back to them in cheer she took in the many cuts and bruises on his face, completely different from the broken bones and mangled limbs she had been expecting.

"Did ya guys see that? That kid was toast!"

Maybe things wouldn't be quite so similar to what she was used to after all. Kazane smiled, ignoring the anxiety in her gut.

* * *

"Ouch, watch what you're doing, redhead, that hurts!"

Kazane pressed the cotton ball tighter onto the wound on Yusuke's foot, frowning.

"Of course it hurts, doofus. You got a giant cut on your stupid foot."

"Hey, it wasn't my idea, alright?!"

She had bandaged up the cuts on his face and now she was working to bandage up the pad on his foot, and as Kazane tossed the bloodied cotton ball into the garbage beside her she couldn't help a smile from rising to her lips.

"That was some fight, though. Sucks I couldn't compete this time."

Instead of a joking barb like she was used to, Yusuke just stared down at the couch cushion with a glare.

"What's up?" Kazane asked, tying the knot on the dressings and sitting back.

The expression on Yusuke's face was not only serious (and slightly out of character for what she was used to), but also angry and tense. Maybe it was the antiseptic still burning on the open wound. Whatever the case, the silence was going on for way too long, and Kazane got up, heading into the kitchen to grab some snacks.

"Don't you have another patient to attend to?"

The demoness looked up in surprise before frowning herself, grabbing some plain sugar snap peas and biting down with more anger than she intended.

"Kurama's fine, I've already seen to him and he just needs rest, and Hiei won't let me bandage his stupid arm, so why bother."

Yusuke rested his arms behind his head, closing his eyes. "That's a surprise."

"What do you mean?"

One brown eye opened to stare at her in incredulity. "You're the only person that can really get Hiei to do anything, that's all."

Instantly Kazane 'pshh'd, finishing up the peas in record time before tidying up and gathering her shoes, her pack already on her back.

"And where are you going?" Yusuke asked, sitting up from his position.

"Out," Was all Kazane said before slipping out the door. She made her way through the hotel, ignoring the curious stares of rich humans and the disgusting decadence around her.

Ridiculous, that's all Yusuke's words were. Hiei loathed her, and delighted in freaking her the fuck out, no doubt that was why he always used to hang around the campfire at the temple. It was a fact that he thought half-breeds were beneath him, and why should she be any different?

Still, why did her steps take her to the cliff face?

She looked out at the craggy expanse, and immediately flushed when she saw Hiei below with his _shirt_ off! What the hell was she doing here? And why did she take the medical pack in her bag? There was no use to this.

Kazane made to turn away but before she could a familiar and grating voice called out, freezing her in her steps.

"I know you're there, hiding."

This demon was going to be the death of her.

Begrudgingly Kazane strolled out of the forest and jumped down the rocks, glaring at the raven-haired man before her.

"And just what are you doing here?"

"Your arm needs bandaging," She began, but before she could finish Hiei turned away, staring back out towards where the ocean was bracing itself against the cliffside.

"My arm is fine, go back to the hotel. This doesn't concern you."

Irritation bristled, and Kazane strode forward, taking the wraps and ointment out from her pack. "You're such an idiot," She started, digging deeper into her pack for a different bundle. "Your arm is not fine, and you're definitely not eating, and if I didn't know better I'd say you were isolating yourse-"

Hiei's pointed glare cut her off, and instead of continuing she held out the wrapped bundle to him, taking care not to meet his eyes. Wordlessly Hiei marched forward, taking the item in Kazane's hands before unwrapping it. Salmon onigiri stared back at him, perfectly made, and he sat on one of the rocks.

This whole tournament was filled with awkward silences, and Kazane was really, truly over it. She fidgeted with a loose string on her backpack strap, trying pointedly to ignore the words Yusuke spoke to her earlier.

"Well, I brought you food so are you going to let me see to that arm or not?"

Hiei grimaced, lazily holding out his arm and staring back out to the water as he munched on the onigiri.

What the hell? Had Yusuke been telling the truth? It seemed like only some food and assertive company was enough to get Hiei to do her bidding. She hadn't really tried much earlier, after the battled had ended, and Kurama had been more than happy to have her take over dressing his wounds.

Grumbling all the way Kazane seated herself down beside him before taking out the poultice, trying to ignore the insane heat coming from his arm. Did he melt snow just by touching it? Did he prefer cooler temperatures because of his body heat? Maybe that was why he always spent so much time outdoors in the dead of night.

Instead of lingering on thoughts of the fire demon before her she set to work, silently rubbing the medication into Hiei's singed skin with methodical, gentle movements, all the while thinking back to every spot on the temple grounds she had memorized in her life in an attempt to dissociate. She really missed that spot in the woods, even if she destroyed nearly every tree there. The pond near the building was nice, too.

God, she was so uncomfortable. Why had she even come here? To prove Yusuke wrong? She didn't fucking know.

"Are you finished yet?" Hiei hissed, breaking her out of her reverie with a start.

"Shut up, I don't even know why I bothered coming out here." Kazane's words came out harsher than intended, and she felt Hiei stiffen beneath her hands.

With a start she realized this was one of the first times she had sought out Hiei's company instead of him seeking out hers, and she stepped back, knotting the bandages before gathering her backpack up on her shoulders.

This was way too weird.

"Okay, well, I don't know much about your technique's lasting effects but I'm sure you'll be fine in no time."

A lie. She knew way too fucking much about Hiei and his life, and she needed to get away before whatever guilt had started brooding in her chest took over.

Without another word she traipsed off into the forest, ignoring the pair of ruby eyes she was sure was following her as she left. Every step farther away from Hiei brought her more clarity, and she sighed as she came to the area round the hotel, resting her palms on her knees and breathing deeply. She had practically sprinted away from the guy.

"Kazane!"

Oh christ, what now?

A familiar head of powder blue hair entered her vision and Kazane smiled. Botan may be a force to be reckoned with but she sure knew how to get her mind away from whatever stupid thoughts lingered, even if her positive energy was somewhat exhausting.

"Botan! And friends."

Keiko was so pretty, it was no wonder Yusuke was enamored with her. She had the look of every top sorority girl Kazane knew from her previous life, but the flint in her eyes made it apparent she wasn't just some A+ bimbo.

Shizuru was intimidating as fuck, and if Kazane had been a few years older maybe she would have made a pass. That menswear really did something for her tall frame and broad shoulders. Okay, get it together! Hormones were the worst, especially the second time around.

"I'm so happy to see you," Botan exclaimed, and Kazane's brows knit in confusion. What were they doing wandering around the grounds? "I thought you could use some girl time away from the boys, but you weren't in the hotel when I went to get you. Come to think of it, nobody was there..." Well. That was troubling, right? "Oh, you have to come with us, we were just on our way to the pool. What do you say?"

This day off was even stranger than could have been expected, but with the sight of the reaper's beaming smile in front of her she had no choice but to say yes.

It was an awkward walk to the hotel pool, to say the least, and Kazane caught both Keiko and Shizuru staring at her more than a couple times. Botan had completely glossed over introducing them, and now it just felt a little...weird.

"Did you bring a swimsuit?" Botan asked, shamelessly changing in the dressing room into her one-piece suit.

"N-no, I think I'm just going to hangout on the sides," Kazane said, feeling incredibly uncomfortable. "I'm not really feeling up to swimming, to be honest. This was kind of a surprise."

A disappointed frown graced Botan's beautiful face as she led everyone out into the pool area. "Suit yourself, but I did bring an extra just in case."

The redhead settled down into one of the lounge chairs, Shizuru next to her, and she ran her hand through her hair, trying to ignore the palpable awkwardness of the situation. It was a gorgeous day, the same as the previous one, a really strange mood for a Dark Tournament all things considered.

"You're a half-demon, huh?"

Kazane choked, turning to face Shizuru, who was eyeing her with a steady gaze. Leave it to the eldest Kuwabara to get right to the point.

"Yeah. Shizuru, right? I'm fighting on the same team as your brother."

Shizuru huffed, lighting a cigarette and taking a deep drag. The act made Kazane itch for one, but she hadn't brought her pack and she knew it was better for her if she didn't. Trying to be healthy was a feat in itself but damn she would try.

"He didn't even tell me what he was up to," Shizuru started, a frown on her face. "He just disappeared into the mountains and then ran off to fight in this stupid tournament without telling me. Yusuke did the same thing to Keiko. If we hadn't practically forced Botan to bring us here we'd have no idea what was going on."

Alright, no light, pleasant conversation. That was fine. Maybe she should have asked for a cigarette if this was the route the conversation was going.

"They talk about you two a lot, you know," Kazane began, kicking off her sandals and wrapping her arms behind her head. "I'm sure the last thing they wanted was to make you two worry, even if they aren't good at showing it."

Shizuru said nothing, just exhaled a cloud of smoke before staring at where Botan was coaxing Keiko into the water, the human girl looking slightly put out by the demons around, many of which were sporting otherworldly ears and tails.

It was true, there were a lot of times Kuwabara talked about Shizuru, and Yusuke did talk about Keiko, even if most of it was him complaining about how mad at him she'd be. The talk had dwindled towards the end of the training, but now Kazane wanted to smack herself for failing to remind the boys of the fact they hadn't said anything to these two girls.

"So what brought you here?"

Kazane took her gaze off where Keiko and Botan were splashing each other. Shizuru's gaze was probably more intense than Hiei's or Kurama's when she really thought about it.

"The guys needed another fighter, and to be honest I'm hoping to find someone here."

Brown eyebrows rose high on Shizuru's face. "What, like a guy?"

"I guess you could say that," Kazane laughed. "My brother's a full demon, I was hoping he'd be here but I haven't seen him yet."

Another contemplative silence from Shizuru before she replied.

"He look like you?"

"Yeah, although he looks a lot more like a demon than I do, honestly. He's got a damn horn."

Their signature red hair and ocean eyes were really the main traits shared between the two, and the fair skin. Their personalities were polar opposites, and Kazane wondered how Jin had become such a humorous, sweet demon when she cursed like a sailor and came off as such a bitch.

"If I see him around I'll let you know."

The sky above them started to darken and Kazane looked up to see thick, menacing clouds approaching. With a sigh she got up out of her seat and put her sandals back on, wrapping her sweatshirt tighter around her.

"If you two stay in there for much longer you'll get struck by lightning!"

An 'eep!' followed her words and Botan and Keiko clambered out of the pool and headed back into the changing area, Kazane and Shizuru following behind.

As the four made their way to the hotel the girls were staying at Kazane bit the inside of her cheek.

"Are you going to tell them you're here?"

She watched as Keiko's face fell into a frown, bow shaped lips pursing, and almost regret asking the question.

"I've been telling her the same thing!" Botan agreed enthusiastically, the towel wrapped around her shoulders in a death grip. "But-"

"I want to," Keiko interrupted. "But I don't want to worry them. The last thing they need right now is a distraction during their fights. Please, Kazane, don't tell them we're here? I don't want them to know... at least, not yet."

Keiko's brown eyes were wide and imploring, and Kazane felt herself let out a deep sigh as she stared into them. Keiko really was selfless in her own way.

"I won't," The redhead promised, winding a strand of hair around her finger. "It's not really my business anyway, that's up to you two to decide. I will say, though, that they'll probably find out eventually."

A soft smile spread across Keiko's lips, and she nodded, thanking Kazane quietly. The demoness split off from the rest of the group towards the team's hotel, bading the girls farewell.

She really wasn't any good with girls. Guys were easier to understand, reacted better to her brash attitude and harsh language. Even Kurama for all his poise and politeness accepted her. There was a different nuance to dealing with women. Maybe it was because she originally grew up around mostly men.

Still, the idea of becoming friends with Keiko and Shizuru didn't seem like the worst idea in history.

* * *

Kazane drifted lazily over the railing on the building's side, her feet touching the ground silently. The sky had cleared earlier, and now the moonlight was bright enough to illuminate everything clearly, a myriad of stars shining above. They were almost as nice of a sight as the temple's night sky.

Shedding her sweatshirt, t-shirt and leggings she tossed them onto one of the lounge chairs before dipping a toe into the water before her, reaching out and making sure there wasn't any other presence around.

Sure, she felt bad about not actually swimming earlier with the girls, and she knew she could rock a bikini like nobody's business. Even so...

Kazane shook her head in an attempt to drive out the thoughts, diving under the water's surface and relaxing in the feel of lessened gravity. The chlorine would dry out her hair and skin, but the pool was nice. Even with the amount of traffic it must get there wasn't a chip at all in the tile-work around the area.

She felt ashamed of herself. Not for sneaking into the hotel pool in the dead of night, no, who would give a fuck about that? She felt ashamed about the fact that her first reaction to the fights ending the previous day was relief.

She had been relieved not to fight, even if she knew she'd have to eventually. The idea that she could somehow fuck up the timeline, or potentially even lose was enough to make her wring her own neck. She should have thought about this more before they all came to the island, but it seemed she had a really bad habit of not really thinking about the future.

A muffled feeling of spirit energy erased her thoughts as quickly as they had come, and immediately Kazane broke the surface of the stilled water above, searching in the dark. Her eyes glanced over the empty chairs and tables, not a figure in view.

She drifted towards the edge of the pool, pressing her arms back onto the tile as she braced herself, swallowing nervously. She forced a mean smile onto her face, her lips twisted up, and bared her teeth.

"Stalking a woman in the middle of the night is pretty pathetic, and I've already got someone else doing that so just come out here."

The signature wasn't familiar to her, else she wouldn't feel quite as on edge, and as a figure stepped out from the darkness Kazane realized why she didn't recognize it.

"As I live and breathe," The redhead called, injecting as much confidence into her voice as she could. "What an honor to meet one of the shinobi in the flesh."

As she felt the weight of Toya's stare on her form she felt fear coil in her gut, thick and menacing. This was quite possibly the worst situation she could have dreamt of; being surrounded by water while one of the most powerful ice apparitions stood before her.

He could freeze the pool in an instant, as well as the water slicked across her skin. Her weapons and fans were on the chairs along with her clothing.

Fuck.

"Kazane, am I right?"

Even his voice was chilling. Terrifying situation notwithstanding Toya was actually kind of cute, even with the weird two-tone hair deal he was sporting.

She hopped out of the water and placed a hand on her hip. If she possessed an ounce of modesty it would have paled in comparison to this tense situation, entirely put on the backburner.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Goosebumps trailed along her skin as the breeze came in, and Kazane repressed the urge to shudder at the chill. Was this another intimidation tactic? The fight between Team Urameshi and Team Masho wasn't supposed to happen until after their first fight tomorrow.

"I just wanted to see for myself," Toya began, his voice slow. "Exactly what type of person inspired Jin to come to this tournament."

Toya didn't have to use his ice powers to freeze Kazane; at his words she stilled immediately, her stomach sinking.

"You didn't know?" Toya continued, crossing the ground between them. "He's here, and your team will be fighting against us tomorrow."

He stopped barely a few inches away, and Kazane looked up into his eyes. He was taller than her, but that really wasn't much of a surprise these days. His gaze was narrowed, calculating, a pale shade of blue that was fitting considering his abilities. Icy.

Kazane felt no snappy comeback come to her defense, no insult to break this tense situation. Her heart jackhammered in her chest, and she could swear the man before her could likely hear it as well.

"Your appearance here is quite the surprise, especially for Jin."

Jin knew she was here? When? Did he see her during the first match? Why hadn't he approached her? She had been _looking_ for him, dammit.

"What repulsive creature threatens a woman in the middle of the night?"

Both pairs of eyes turned at the new voice, and as Kazane caught the pair of ruby orbs glaring in Toya's direction surprise and relief flooded her chest.

Hiei strode forward, one hand gripping the sword on his hip and the other clenched tightly in a fist. He stopped at Kazane's side, and she immediately felt the warmth that radiated off of him ease the chill in her bones.

"Threaten? I'm afraid you are mistaken, Hiei," Toya responded, his face betraying no emotion. "I was simply introducing myself."

"Take your leave before my sword finds you instead."

Wordlessly Toya withdrew from their grouping, turning before he disappeared into the darkness around them.

"It was a pleasure finally meeting you Kazane."

A beat of silence passed as a breeze came rolling in, and Kazane immediately turned away from the demon at her side to where her things were lying on the chair. Her heart still thudded uncomfortably in her chest, and as she dried off she tried to quell the shameful blush rising to her face.

"I uh...thanks," She coughed, pulling her leggings up around her hips. "I could've handled him, you know, if things had gotten crazy."

She could practically feel Hiei rolling his eyes behind her.

"Yes, you looked quite capable." He replied, sarcasm laced in his words.

The demoness grumbled to herself, reaching for her shirt. Stupid demons and their stupid power plays. Stupid Jin for not coming to find her when he knew she was here. Stupid tournament.

Stupid false life.

"Who is Jin?"

Kazane stilled where she stood clutching her shirt, and she turned to face Hiei.

"He's my broth-"

She had been expecting Hiei to be glaring at her with his hands in his pockets, or maybe looking off into the dark around them. She hadn't expected his eyes to be trailing over the expanse of her exposed stomach.

The tips of her ears immediately flushed, and she felt rage bubble inside her. She hadn't pegged him for a pervert but, god, what the hell?

It wasn't the exposed skin he was staring at, though. Or her chest, actually. With a start she realized it was the puckered and deeply pigmented scarring running along it, the moonlight washing out her already pale skin and causing over-exaggerated contrast. It probably had been even more obvious without her leggings on.

Kazane bit her lip hard enough to taste blood, shrugging her shirt over her head to cover up the scars Hiei had been staring at.

This whole situation was so fucking awkward. She wanted to punch something, to break the furniture around them, to bolt as fast as she could away from here. Everything about today was already too much and tonight was the cherry on top of a shit sandwich. Or sundae. Whatever. Fuck.

She wanted to get so drunk she forgot her own name, or so high she could forget being trapped in this batshit universe. She wanted to blast trees and rocks with wind until nothing stood before her.

She couldn't though. Not now, not with so much happening in less than twelve hours.

Instead Kazane wrapped her sweatshirt around her figure, zipping the thing up all the way until it sat right under her jaw. She turned away from Hiei and marched over towards the side of the pool grounds, hovering over the railing and heading back off towards the hotel.

Thankfully most of the boys were already asleep when she arrived back, save for Kuwabara. He was steeping a cup of tea in the kitchen when she walked in, and immediately she regretted not leaving her window unlocked so she could just float up towards it.

"Where'd you go? This place is pretty creepy at night, you know."

Kazane shot him a small smile. "I just went for a walk to clear my head."

Kuwabara's head cocked slightly and he frowned, setting his cup onto the coffee table as he sat down.

"Well, I just wanna say that if something's bugging you, I can listen if you need to vent. I'm not really the greatest when it comes to giving advice, but talking to someone always makes me feel better."

Kazane felt her throat close up and she quickly turned to head toward her room.

"I...thanks, Kuwabara. Goodnight."

Letting her hair trail down from her bun Kazane sank into the covers of her bed, squeezing her eyelids closed in an attempt to stifle the overwhelming and stupid amount of emotions boiling over. She grabbed one of the pillows forcefully, pressing it over the top of her head as the tears soaked into the expensive linen.

If she had to cry the very least she could do was make it as quiet as possible so as not to worry the boys.

* * *

**Note: **

**A lot happening in this chapter. Jin knows she's here and hasn't approached her yet? The group training together actually helped Kuwabara? What does that bode for the rest of the tournament arc?**

**I think Toya's a cutie, and that may have crept into this chapter a bit. Oops.**

**Also more interactions with Shuzuru and Keiko coming later on, and Botan as well.**

**All my love to my wonderful followers and lurkers, and heaps of affection to rsaenz18 and ptbv for the reviews. **


	12. Life Fantastic

Kazane exited the shower, wrapping her hair up in a towel before tying another around her body.

For a moment she just stared at her reflection in the mirror, biting her lower lip.

The pale skin and more delicate features should have been foreign to her, but they weren't. Maybe it was the effect of living in a body for years without seeing your own reflection, or maybe it was just spending so long in that body in a second life. Either way, Kazane always expected some sense of alienation when she stared at her own face in the mirror, but it never came. It was vastly different from the features of her previous life, but it was still her, just a different shade.

She reached a hand up, running her fingers over the higher cheekbones, the pointed chin.

Most of her forearms were free from any blemish, but the ugly scarring was intense from her clavicles down. In this life her body had always had thinner skin, dumb-looking veins showing through on her thighs. She knew it shouldn't bother her; she was passably cute, if not more so. Still, it did.

Strange how the one thing she felt ashamed of about her new form was something caused entirely after her rebirth.

The fact that Hiei had inadvertently seen her scars, even if she had told him about the torture previously, was fucking embarrassing.

She had bigger things to worry about than her vanity at the moment, though.

She worked some moisturizer into her skin and dried her hair, breathing deeply through her nose before donning her outfit and weapons. By now the boys were probably irritated that she was taking so long.

Stepping out into the living room area she noticed that Yusuke was the only one stuffing his face, Kuwabara sitting next to him with an irritated expression on his. Genkai simply stared out the window.

"Don't mind me, continue on with the somber mood," She joked, going to pour herself a cup of coffee. The scent of jasmine trailed behind her, mingling strangely with the smell of the croissants.

"Kuwabara was just complaining about some dream he had."

"Was she hot?"

At Kazane's response Kuwabara sputtered, Yusuke choking on the bread as he laughed.

"Both of you are disgusting! And no, it wasn't about some girl."

The redhead sat down next to Kuwabara, taking in his clearly distressed state. She let out a small sigh, finding it better to just come out with it than beat around the bush. Yusuke clearly wasn't in the mood to console someone.

"It's about Team Ichigaki, isn't it?"

At her words Kuwabara looked up in surprise.

In all honesty this upcoming fight was the source of so much of Kazane's anxiety. It was a massive oversight that her appearance prevented Genkai from fighting or intervening, even if she willingly joined the team in the hopes of making things better. She really could be a massive idiot sometimes.

"Did you have a dream too, Kazane?"

She sipped her coffee, a twisted grimace forming on her lips. "Something like that." Turning to where Yusuke was finally done annihilating his breakfast she frowned at him. "You haven't completed the Spirit Wave yet, have you?"

Genkai's head finally turned to face the three seated on the couch, and she strolled over, sitting down on the one across from Kazane that remained unoccupied.

"Listen the training isn't exactly easy, you know," Yusuke responded, crossing his arms. "You've trained with the old bat so you know how much it sucks. I've almost got the hang of it."

Kazane rolled her eyes. "Okay, so yeah that means you haven't actually learned it."

"Hey!"

"Why are you asking about the Spirit Wave?" Genkai's calm if gruff voice cut in on their spat, and Kazane nervously fiddled with a lock of hair, but it was Kuwabara who answered for her.

"They're not fighting 'cause they want to, they're fighting because they're forced to."

There really wasn't any other positive outcome for the match if Genkai couldn't use her Spirit Wave. The men on Ichigaki's team would die; there wasn't any other way for the weird nano tech in their body to be removed without death. It was in their bloodstream and their spine.

She knew from memories a lifetime ago that even if Kuwabara managed to get a word through to them all it would accomplish was a plea for death.

Genkai's eyes remained on Kazane, and she hoped the expression on her face conveyed what she was feeling about the whole ordeal.

"Listen, we can walk and talk," Yusuke interrupted, standing. "Our match is starting soon and as much as I'd love to be fashionably late I doubt Hiei and Kurama would be stoked about it."

Begrudgingly Kazane stood up and exited out the room with the other three, her fist clenched hard.

What good was her being here if it only caused more complication? Sure, she acted as an older sister figure and potential comfort to Yusuke and Kuwabara, but everything would have worked out relatively fine without her involvement. She probably should've just stayed at the temple.

No, even if that was the more wise decision she was never one to just sit on the sidelines and watch. Especially now that she had bonds formed with the boys, there was no way she could have just sat there and done nothing.

"You knew this would happen."

Kazane turned to look at Genkai, the pair having trailed back further from the two boys. She really hated that stupid wrapping on her face; it prevented her from seeing any reaction on her guardian's part.

"I had an inkling," She replied, keeping her tone vague. "Do you know of any rules for alternates fighting in the tournament?"

"No."

A tense silence ensued after Genkai's reply, and Kazane tried to focus on putting one foot in front of the other, taking a deep breath in before exhaling loudly out her nose.

* * *

Dr. Ichigaki had the ugliest face Kazane had ever seen, but even as she came up with scathing insults in her head they were silenced by the panic in her veins.

She knew Kurama and Hiei wouldn't be here, and yet their absence only escalated her anxiety. On more than one occasion she expected one of them to say something, yet the only response to come out of the air was one of silence.

"Time is up," Koto called, her seafoam eyes looking over the contestants. "Both teams step forward."

As Kazane marched forward alongside Yusuke she took a deep breath, her lungs expanding uncomfortably.

"Team captains, please decide the terms for battle."

Dr. Ichigaki let out the most skin-crawling laugh she had ever heard.

"Isn't this mysterious, both of our teams are missing two members?"

Immediately Kazane turned to Koto. "Two of our fighters aren't here due to out of the ring complications, can our backup take place in this fight?"

Koto's tail twitched, and it took a moment for her to respond. She stared into Kazane's eyes before addressing the proposal with the committee, her amplified voice raising across the stands.

"The committee will deliberate," Came the feminine, robotic reply, and Kazane tried with every fiber of her being to stand still and not fidget nervously.

This was their only hope, there was no way of a positive outcome without Genkai originally involved, and especially with Yusuke not mastering the Spirit Wave.

To her side the spirit detective cast an appraising glance at her, his brows knit with worry.

"What are you doing?"

"Trust me," Kazane whispered, gripping the hem of his shirt. "Please."

The concerned expression didn't leave Yusuke's face, but he settled back where he stood in silence.

She had wanted things to turn out differently, maybe have a more positive effect on the events surrounding the boys. Instead she was making things more difficult; fights she knew could work out in the end now in jeopardy because of her appearance and insistence on joining the tournament.

There was nothing more she could do now. The only thought running through her head was the goal she had come to terms with before departing for the island:

_Protect her boys, protect her boys, protect her boys-_

A light tone cascaded from the speakers, and Kazane turned her gaze up towards where she knew the glass wall of the committee members sat behind, wishing she could see past the tint.

"Request for the masked fighter's involvement has been denied."

Within seconds she could feel her legs give out underneath her, and it took everything in her power to not drop to the hard surface below. It had been a long shot, but she had been banking on it. Now what were they supposed to do?

A few feet away Koto hissed in disbelief and annoyance, glancing over at the redhead with sympathetic eyes. There were surely incidents in the past where alternates were able to join in even without a competitor's death. Nobody knew more about that than Koto, she was a walking rulebook for the tournament.

Still, she wasn't a deciding member and so her disdain was barely voiced aside from a soft, disbelieving 'what?' barely reaching the microphone.

Kazane met Genkai's gaze, cerulean on teak, and she saw the pity behind her orbs.

The old psychic knew what stakes she had been playing on. Kazane tucked the thought in the back of her mind; if she survived this fight then she knew a long talk with Genkai would come from it. She had been so blatantly hinting at it, even before they arrived on the island.

Wordlessly Genkai retreated from the circle, watching from the outskirts.

Dr. Ichigaki let out a giggle that made Kazane feel even more hopeless.

"A fair match, both teams down two members, we should fight with the people we have."

Kazane felt like she was having a heart attack, her chest tight and her throat closing up inside her. This was so stupid, this was so fucking stupid. No doubt Jin was watching from somewhere in the stands, or even in whatever waiting area stood in hallways behind the entrance door. They would fight them next.

"And what about you?" Yusuke responded, his face set in a truly menacing expression against the demon. "Don't the ugly, pointy-eared trolls like to fight too?"

"Only when we have to, boy. I prefer the managing position. Never any reason to do the work when you can watch somebody else do it for you."

Normally the words would have elicited rage in Kazane, but at the moment she was in shock. It was like an out of body experience, her body standing there in all its stoic glory while her brain furiously tried to come up with a different plan of attack. Nothing came to mind, though. There was only one thing she could do to help her teammates beside her now. She wished Kurama was here; he was good at planning, even if he put himself in the middle of the fray to analyze an opponent.

She hated it, didn't want to do it with every fiber of her being. She would take one for the team, because if it came to question of Yusuke or Kuwabara being overcome with debilitating regret and trauma she would not allow it.

It was the least she could do for her mistakes now.

Her internal monologue had drowned out any of Ichigaki's words, as well as Yusuke's enraged responses, and as he finished his tirade Kazane swallowed nervously, her fingernails biting crescents into her palms hard enough to draw blood.

"Combine the thee matches into a six-person battle royale," Kazane proposed, hoping that her face was much more composed than she felt.

"K-Kazane! What are you doing?" Kuwabara exclaimed, a pale sweat forming on his skin.

"Seriously," Yusuke added. "What good would that do?"

Once again Kazane breathed in deep, letting the air expand her lungs uncomfortably before she exhaled through her nose. She could feel Genkai's eyes on her from where she stood on the grass, and she wanted so much to disappear into the concrete beneath her feet.

Too many things coming to a head, too many thoughts rattling through her brain. Too much.

Ichigaki turned away, fiddling with his calculator. Kazane knew what would appear on his screen; a 0.05% chance of a win for her team, possibly less or more depending on her involvement. Nobody had seen her techniques so far.

"You drive a hard bargain," Ichigaki called, his face cast in a delightful grin. "I will accept."

As the demoness watched the malformed scientist stalk towards the edge of the ring she felt a coldness settle over her heart. She had seen a lot of fucked up things, she knew how to compartmentalize. She would wait until the end of the events to crack, hopefully until after their fight with team Masho. Even if she had to fight there was no way she could effectively do it while being in such turmoil.

Tuck that away for later; there was plenty of time to wallow in shit afterwards. Now there was no way forward except to do the worst.

Kazane duly ignored the deadened stares of the men before her, as well as the glances from her team members. Separate, isolate. Not now.

And if the stakes were still as high as they originally had been (Yusuke's body in question for Ichigaki's disgusting experiments) then she had even more reason to put aside whatever feelings of misery and grief were beguiling her. There were important things on the line.

The crowd chanted harmoniously in attack against her team, and she wanted to smile at Yusuke's next defensive words. She couldn't, though.

"Damn. Well, at least the fans are getting creative."

He was the same as Kuwabara; fourteen or fifteen? She should know this! Damn her. Damn her abysmal memory. Regardless, they were still more or less children.

"Hey Kazane," Kuwabara said, interrupting her panicked thoughts. "That was a good call; we can all watch each others' back when we fight."

As much as she wanted to take comfort in Kuwabara's words an overwhelming sadness lingered in her chest. It wasn't a good call, her being here wasn't a good call. She was just following whims of her own thoughts as well as fictional paths from Genkai. Fuck.

Keiko, Botan, and Shizuru were in the stands, and if memory served her right then Shizuru was as aware of the opponents' conflicting actions as Kuwabara, night terror message be damned.

It seemed Kazane was disappointing everyone today.

"Last team with a standing member wins!" Koto called, a hesitant excitement to her voice as she glanced at the half-demon. "Ready? Begin!"

It started instantaneously, Team Ichigaki coming forward as soon as Koto's arm was withdrew. Kazane would have admired the rush had they been in possession of their own bodies. She had used the same technique with Hiei a time earlier; strike first, even out the playing field.

The man before her with dusty magenta hair raised a hand, spirit energy forming around his digits as he reached out to strike.

The force of his attack caused a crater where the three had been moments before.

"Damn!?" Yusuke yelled in surprise, having leapt out of the way after Kazane edged a shoulder into his pec.

The man with two lines (Scars? Whatever they were?) punched into nothing, and the force of the invisible attack pushed Yusuke and Kuwabara back, pained sound eliciting from the two.

This was stupid. This was monumentally fucked.

In an instant Kazane moved, crouching into a coiled stance and whipping her fans out towards the man who had just invisibly punched her two companions.

The slices of wind hurtled forward at breakneck speed, too fast for the eye to follow, and without a second thought made contact with the poor soul in the body, one of his arms flying backwards towards the lip of the ring while the other made contact with the soft expanse of his windpipe. He tried to brace against it for a second before the force of it caused his head to careen wildly, his body falling limp as clean lines edged into his adam's apple.

_Don't think about it, keep going._

Kazane just needed this to be over. It was some awful nightmare, and she needed to get it over with as quickly as possible.

"Angel blades!"

Effervescent chakram circled around the ginger's head, and Kazane once again urged her teammates into action, yelling furiously at them to move. After the explosive and instinctual first attack they were on the defensive, dodging strange glowing rings coming at them. They seemed in shock, not only from the force of their opponents' attacks but at Kazane's cut throat attitude towards the match.

"It's just run or be gutted!" Koto's voice called over the sound system, and Kazane watched as Kuwabara became the main source of focus, the chakram targeting him specifically.

_Protect her boys, protect her boys, protect her boys-_

The wind was rustling around her figure, as if to amplify the general turmoil she felt in her chest. What a shitty, if fitting time for it to come to fruition; the wind no doubt causing a disturbance for the men they were facing, unnecessarily kicking up dust and debris into their face as well as her teammates.

She stood in front of Kuwabara, using all available energy to deflect the projectiles aiming for him.

She had no idea whether it would work, having barely used wind to deflect even Genkai's attacks during training, preferring to just dodge out of the way of projectiles. Still, she put everything into the maneuver, the force of the wind and chakram's impact scooting her back some inches. Clutching the ginger thug before her by the arm she dragged him away to another part of the ring.

In front of her, Yusuke was facing his own battle.

He held an arm readied before him, his spirit gun primed and ready, but she could sense no power forming in his phalanges.

His spirit gun was well and truly out of commission for this match, and even if it was up to snuff she knew that there would be immeasurable hesitancy in Yusuke's mind at fighting back.

Kazane called upon the lessons Kurama had taught her, eliciting a smokescreen with barely more than the grass and dirt around them, and shrouded the opponent attacking them inside a tumultuous cloud of raging brown and grey. It wasn't pretty or elegant by any means, but it did its job, and Kazane entered the fray, a knife in her hand.

The lack of resistance to the blade caused her to pause for a moment as she tried to gather her bearings. She had entered her own shroud, aimed her dagger immediately for his heart as she followed her opponent's spiritual energy, and had been struck with surprise when it was granted so easily into her opponent's chest. His soft flesh was giving, and she was struck with the realization that maybe he allowed it to be so; to see no other way out of this fight than to sacrifice life and limb. Possibly their opponents were internally struggling with the fight; finding Kazane's assassination a kind of mercy.

It did little to alleviate the panic in the background of her mind.

The only man left standing was the slighter, smaller ginger man before them.

"Kazane!" Yusuke called, his brown eyes concerned but also distressed. "I'll be the bait, you go for him when you see a chance!"

Watching Yusuke flitter around the arena was amusing, and no doubt completely against his headstrong, attack-first ways, but without the spirit gun he was no more than a sitting duck, yet able to comprehend the tactical situation with barely a moment's notice.

For as school-smart as Yusuke wasn't his instinctual tactical prowess outnumbered it tenfold.

She made quick work of the boy before her, skirting at insane speeds and plunging her blade into his heart after he wholeheartedly went towards the spirit detective acting as her decoy. It seemed too easy; from the beginning she had painted herself as the biggest threat to their livelihood, going after their most vulnerable human points without a tinge of remorse in the wake of his compatriots' deaths. Both Kuwabara and Yusuke refrained from actually attacking with their full strength, likely from a moral obligation on both their parts.

Before the boy's heart burst beneath the blade he aimed one final glowing chakram, the energy-bladed end cutting into Kazane's arm before she hastily withdrew, letting out a pained yell.

Kazane jumped back towards the edge of the ring, staring at the blade in her right hand coated in crimson blood, and at Ichigaki glaring at her with nothing except absolute loathing in his eyes. She absentmindedly pressed a palm to the inside of her arm in an attempt to stem the bleeding.

It wasn't a win, not by a long shot.

It took a beat of silence before Koto's voice called over the megaphone, her crystalline soprano tone emphasizing the fight just right, even if the words caused sickly indigestion in Kazane's innards.

"The winner of the match: Team Urameshi!"

Kazane briefly registered the presence of Hiei and Kurama's spirit energy as they entered the surroundings, dumping the bodies of the other team with them, and she wanted more than anything for them to leave the area, for a certain fire demon to look away from the carnage that had ensued. She was so fucking guilty, and too many people close to her were here to witness it.

Kurama would know what happened with barely a moment to surmise the area, Hiei likely close behind him.

Kazane dropped to her knees, the harsh base of the ring causing a tremor to rake up her spine as she sat in silence, tears dripping down her face. There was blood all around them, pitying eyes of Kuwabara and Yusuke trailing over her figure as the latter scooped her up to an awkward stooped position.

"I...I think you should sit out this one," Yusuke said softly, moving Kazane to the lip of the ring and dropping her in the emerald grass.

"I...There was nothing else to do-" Kazane interrupted, clutching onto the spirit detective's warm wrist.

There wasn't; they were going to die. It was only Kazane realizing what had to be done, even if she hated herself for it, even if there was a better solution amongst all the possibilities, that solution wasn't possible. She couldn't let Yusuke or Kuwabara be plagued with thoughts of regret if the only reason a more positive outcome was prevented was because of her involvement.

"I know," Yusuke choked, his brown orbs holding more empathy than Kazane had ever seen. He didn't know, though. "I know, and I'm sorry. Kuwabara and I couldn't..."

No. No! This was all wrong; the two shouldn't feel guilty for the events that transpired; it was the result of her own existence. If she hadn't been here everything would be fine.

In her delirium the foliage around her was comfortable, and Kazane exhaled deeply, sitting back in the grass. It was emerald green, so bright.

Maybe she was going nuts.

There was no going back now; she was tainted, had seen the true fate of the men she faced albeit in a 2D vision. She was responsible for their deaths, more or less, and as Kurama and Hiei ascended towards their environment Kazane felt herself shiver. She didn't belong here; she caused more harm than good.

Within a second Hiei crouched before her, and he glanced at the bleeding gash on her arm, his eyes narrowing and turning cold.

"Who?" He hissed, his lips curling back on his teeth as she didn't respond. Hiei took in Kazane's tears before taking her head in his hands and forcing their eyes to meet. His hands were _so warm_.

"What happened?"

At Hiei's words Kazane sputtered, not only due to her frazzled nerves but also the oppressive atmosphere that the fire demon exhibited, and against her will Kazane opened her mind to Hiei, nearly drawing him too far in. She needed someone to understand, and what better way than letting someone in to your mind? He would understand, he had to.

Slowly the sight of Hiei's ruby eyes escaped her vision, and she opened the expanses of the fight to him. In slower motion she watched her methodical movements again, the poor humans on Ichigaki's team, but on this second viewing Kazane recoiled within herself, an unwilling participant in the observations, and before Kazane could help it a thought crept to the surface, using her physical arms to try to keep it in her brain.

Hiei had seen it all from her point of view, had felt her overwhelming emotions to protect Yusuke and Kuwabara.

The bloodshed on the ring was inevitable, but he knew better than anyone now what happened.

_Was she a monster?_

Hiei exited from her conscious, physically shaking his head to relieve him of the residual emotions that no doubt lingered.

His whole demeanor was rigid and stiff, and Kazane once again withdrew within herself, pressing against the side of the ring.

* * *

As Hiei returned to Kurama's side he cast a sidelong glance at the redhead a few feet away, her head wrapped in her hands.

The rest of their team convened as the stands roared indignantly at the win for their team, and the fire demon wanted nothing more than to gut every single one of them with his blade.

"What happened?" Kurama asked, his tone quiet but biting.

The detective and the oaf hesitated before responding, both looking towards the grass.

"Our opponents were fighting against their will," Genkai offered, the bandages covering her features making her words slightly muffled. "Kazane attempted to have me join the match in your place, and the committee denied." At Kurama's frown she extrapolated. "My Spirit Wave would have freed them from Ichigaki's control."

"I couldn't do anything!" Kuwabara cried. "I didn't want to hurt them; they never would have agreed to fight here."

Yusuke didn't add any words, simply glaring at the grass before them intensely.

"And so she decided to kill them so you wouldn't have to," Hiei spoke, the memories from Kazane still fresh. The overwhelming guilt that had threatened to awash him, the insane amount of regret. "There would have been nothing to be achieved by not fighting; they'd still be controlled and _you_ would be dead."

"There could have been some other way..."

"No," Kurama cut in. "When we were ambushed by M-5 he told us everything. Removing the Verrucae from their backs would have been fatal, and I'm sure Kazane assumed that was the case."

The group fell silent, and Hiei looked over at where Kazane sat.

There was turmoil inside her, had been from the very moment they met, and he didn't need access to her thoughts or memories to know that. She had allowed him a glimpse into her past, something he could tell she kept locked tightly inside of her. The scars adorning her figure proved their truth.

Hiei noticed the gremlin known as Ichigaki make his way out of the opposing side's door, and he made a mental note of the demon's signature. He would kill him later.

The soft bell of the committee speakers bellowed over the stands, and Hiei turned to glare at the glass partition.

"May I have your attention please. The third round of the Dark Tournament will begin immediately."

From beside him the detective let out an angry cry. "Seriously? Give us a break!"

"Furthermore, the Tournament Committee has unanimously decided to begin the round in accordance to the match diagram, starting from the left. Team Urameshi and Team Masho, please report to the ring."

Hiei ground his teeth, his fists clenched at his sides. There would be no rest before the next fight, and Kazane was definitely in no position to compete.

* * *

**Note:**

**I was really nervous to post this chapter, to be honest. I guess I expect some backlash.**

**This event will have lasting effects on not only Kazane, but plot as well. As it should. Shit's fucked up.**

**Inserting an OC can't always be a positive experience, and especially considering she took Genkai's place in the tournament I couldn't think of any other way this could happen. I've been planning this impossible fight since I started this fic, and I hope I did it justice. Team Ichigaki's defeat is a combination of Kazane's skills, her automatic, instinctual response to protecting Yusuke and Kuwabara to trauma, and Ichigaki's team's hesitance to fight (at least in my mind). I feel there's no way the committee would have let an alternate fight with such good odds the Urameshi team would succumb to defeat. They're out to get them, after all.**

**I got more reviews than usual on the last chapter, and this fic has now surpassed 100 subscribers. It's honestly insane, and I'm humbled by the support and reviews I get. Thank you so much.**

**As per usual, many thanks to all my lovely subscribers and lurkers, and an overwhelming amount of thanks to the ever faithful xenocanaan and rsaenz18. Literal angels.**

**Warm hugs to AmericanNidiot, Vienna22, and TasukiLover05. I appreciate y'all greatly.**

**Next chapter is the aftermath of this shitstorm, as well as a small HieixKazane moment and tension involving Toya. Nothing crazy, but I thought I'd tell you in advance. *wink***


	13. Confetti

She had promised herself to keep it together as much as she could before the next fight, but now Kazane just felt like a total failure as she held her head in her hands, fists curling in her fiery locks.

At least Kuwabara and Yusuke didn't have to do it, she kept telling herself, a mantra in her head. At the very least there was that.

She briefly registered the faint scent of feminine perfume before glancing up into a pair of concerned magenta eyes.

"Kazane..." Botan breathed, reaching out a hand and pressing her palm to the half-demon's shoulder.

Botan had seen everything, had seen Kazane mercilessly (or maybe it was an act of mercy, considering) kill the controlled men on the other team, and yet...

Here she was, crouched down beside her, concern swirling in her beautiful eyes.

"Don't tell me you jumped all the way down here," Kazane mumbled, humor not quite coming to the surface as she intended. She sounded more monotone than anything.

"Of course I did! I had to."

As Koto called for Team Masho to enter Kazane looked up towards the other end of the stadium, her heart once again picking up pace.

Jin would be entering soon, and it would be the first time seeing him in over a decade, and he had likely seen Kazane's actions moments earlier.

Would he condemn her for it? Would he hate her? Surely a full-blood demon could understand killing better than anyone, even if her reasons for it were to protect those closest.

Would he even look at her? Toya had said he'd been aware she was here, and she had yet to see even a glimpse of him since she arrived.

It was fine. Everything was _fine_. She just had to keep telling herself that, keep distracting her mind from lingering.

The sight of a whirlwind appearing in the grass feet away caused something painful to twinge in her chest, and she felt a longing burgeon with the spirit energy coalescing. It had been too long since she had seen Jin's handiwork, and she had to admire it.

As Team Masho appeared in all their black-clad attire trepidation coiled in her gut, but Kazane couldn't look away. She knew which one Jin was under; the white pentagon symbol affixed on the front. It was easy to pick out which one Toya was what with his shorter stature.

The stifled hum of Jin's spirit energy finally made itself known to her, and Kazane felt more at home than she ever had since arriving on Genkai's doorstep.

At the same time grief bubbled up to the surface.

"Jin..." She said softly, the words escaping her mouth unbidden, and Botan cast her a look of surprise.

"Do you know one of them Kazane?"

Stiffly the redhead nodded. "My brother."

The grim reaper did a double take between Kazane and the grouping across from them before hefting the smaller girl up to stand gently. "Oh...dear."

As wind violently swirled around the cloaked figure of her brother Kazane finally got a good look at him after the robe was blown forcefully off.

He looked the same as she'd ever seen him; his features almost an exact mirror of her own, except insanely more masculine. They both had the same unkempt hair, the same glittering blue eyes, the same sharp incisors. He looked as strong and as capable as she'd ever seen, and as Kazane's teammates took in the fighter before them nearly all eyes darted back towards her in disbelief.

It wasn't hard to match up their connection when they were so close to each other.

She didn't miss the way Yusuke's fist clenched in time with his jaw, his brows once more knitting together, or the way Hiei's stance became uncommonly still.

"Your brother is a shinobi?" Botan shrieked, and Kazane wanted nothing more than to just float away from everything happening.

She watched Yusuke and Jin face each other in the arena and her heart clenched as she saw that since Jin had entered the field he hadn't glanced at her once. His soft Irish lilt reached her ears as he spoke and her stomach sank further down. Even the sight of Yusuke and her brother finally meeting didn't stop the panic from coming to the surface.

She was _right here!_

"May I have your attention please."

The robotic voice over the intercoms resounded, and Kazane sagged some of her weight onto Botan. She had nearly forgotten about the trickery the committee was planning.

"The Tournament Committee will be instituting a medical examination before the next round."

"What is this, gym class?" Yusuke called, hopping off the lip of the ring next to where Kazane and Botan stood, giving Kazane a glance, and despite all the bullshit that had happened that day she felt her spirits raise minutely at Yusuke's words.

They were the same; using humor to mask whatever they were really feeling, and to an extent make others less on edge. A small smile creased the edges of her lips.

"Due to the Urameshi Team fighting without rest," Robotic Announcer called. "And in accordance to section thirteen of the Tournament index, report to the medical tent."

"As long as they don't grab my balls and make me cough," Yusuke quipped, and Botan let out an exclamation, flapping one of her arms dramatically as she berated his crudeness.

The medical tent just...appeared. There really was no other way to describe it. Maybe Kazane hadn't been paying attention because of Jin, but it seemed to just appear out of thin air, the most gorgeous demon Kazane had ever seen step from within it.

If the situation was different she would have been reduced to a nervous, stuttering mess in front of the model-esque redhead dressed in nurse attire, but as things stood Kazane's anxiety was at the forefront and thoroughly prevented her hormones to come to a head. Trying to joke and lighten her own absolutely bereaved mood was still applicable, however.

God, she hoped at least she'd look like that in ten years.

"Hello gentlemen, ladies," The nurse spoke, and Kazane's arm (draped over Botan as the grim reaper was supporting her somewhat) tightened, along with every other muscle in the half-demon's body.

A single palm raised to evaluate her teammates, and she stiffened even more as the palm settled over her figure.

"Yes, you two fighters," The nurse finally spoke, looking pointedly at Kazane and Hiei. "Would you please follow me to the medical tent?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Hiei's brusque voice cut in. "We need no medical attention. Kazane's wound is easily treatable on its own."

Against her will Kazane felt her heart flutter nervously as she realized that this moment was the first time Hiei had said her name aloud to address her, instead of his usual 'woman' or 'half-breed'.

Today was full of firsts, and chock full of everything she wanted nothing to do with nor think about.

Botan begrudgingly let Kazane go, squeezing once on the redhead's hand as she relinquished her grip. As Kazane followed Hiei towards the medical tent she was struck with the thought that the world simply did not deserve Botan; she was too sweet. An angel, ironic given her employment.

The nurse introduced herself as Ruka before taking inventory on Hiei's state, albeit mostly visually. Kazane doubted that Hiei would let anyone touch him, nurse or not.

"Are you experiencing any fatigue, or sharp recurring pains?"

"No," Hiei answered immediately, looking thoroughly done with the whole affair.

"And are you experiencing any out of body experiences, any debilitating thoughts?" Ruka asked, this time addressing Kazane.

The question barely made Kazane pause before responding. "No."

She was, and the depth of denial and disparaging thoughts were overwhelming, but with the events going on Kazane had locked them in the back of her mind for the time being. Maybe it was the appearance of Jin finally, in the flesh, or maybe it was Yusuke's lighthearted jibs that cast the darkness away enough to keep up a composure. Perhaps it was Botan's selfless support. Either way, Kazane was determined to keep her inner turmoil at bay for the time being.

Just as she had said earlier; there was plenty of time to wallow in self-pity when she was alone. She needed to be strong right now.

"Hmm...clearly you will both have to stay with me until your health has improved, both physical and mental," Ruka spoke, her soft voice in great juxtaposition with the way her eyes were raking over the two of them.

"I don't go where people tell me to, lady," Hiei hissed, glancing at Kazane. "And I very much doubt this one does either. You can treat yourself."

Kazane attempted to follow Hiei out of the medical tent, but the sharp and static waves of a forcefield kept them at bay and she nearly bowled into the demon before her as he stopped his departure.

"A trap," She muttered, and Hiei pressed a palm to the forcefield, the electric blue tendrils winding their way around the proffered limb.

Even if getting caught in a hot demon's forcefield wasn't exactly planned Kazane settled onto the seat inside the medical tent easily. She knew the forcefield, or the energy embed in it, (or whatever, she didn't fucking know) would actually speed Hiei's healing process when it came to his arm, and it wasn't like she was equipped to fight as it was.

It had always been a habit instilled in her to lie to medical professionals or authority figures, and Ruka was no different. The idea of sitting this fight out on the sidelines was appealing, especially since Kuwabara was actually at full strength this time. She may have said one thing to the faux-nurse before her, but Kazane wanted nothing more than to not fight unless she had to, especially against her brother's team.

God, she was such a coward, really.

"Hey, readhead!" Yusuke called out, rushing towards Ruka. "Why do I get the feeling you're not a licensed nurse?"

Kazane watched as Yusuke met the forcefield head on, wincing in pain, and she called out to him.

"Obviously the committee has it in for our team, we'll be fine. Just kick some ass for me, please?" Once again she tried to call upon the sarcastic humor she was accustomed to, but it was much less effective or convincing than any other time, and she watched as Yusuke's face formed a twisted frown.

Kazane tried not to gape open-mouthed as Ruka shed her nurse uniform for what could only be called a tangle of scantily-clad ropes.

Yeah, she _really_ hoped she'd look like that in the future.

"I'm regarded as the most talented creature alive in spell-defense incantations," Ruka announced, and at this Kazane snickered, interrupting her boastful tirade.

The elder redhead turned towards her with an expression of utter contempt.

"No, by all means," Kazane hissed, raising her palms in the air. "Continue your monologue, I'm sure it makes you feel important."

In front of her the softest chuckle she had ever heard elicited from Hiei's mouth.

"Spell-whatever or not," Yusuke grumbled. "Give me my damn team back!"

Ruka tutted softly. "Didn't you hear the announcement, Yusuke? They're both very sick. They're going to need a little time to recover."

"Lady I've been sick my whole life," Kazane rebuked scathingly. "A little time in this tent isn't going to cure me."

Probably the wrong thing to say, but she was angry and lashing out. Whatever. It felt good right now.

Without barely more than another incantation Ruka's energy battled Hiei into his seat beside Kazane, and she glanced at him before staring out into the field.

Of course she would have to be stuck in this tent alone with him and only another sadistic redhead for company. Maybe Kazane really was cursed.

As the stadium speaker announced her and Hiei's disqualification from the fight Kazane sat back against the seat and sighed loudly. Truth be told she didn't know whether being relatively alone with her thoughts right now was a good idea, but she was happy for the chance not to fight all the same.

It was hard to pin down what about her personality made killing so easy, and it was something she contemplated before on the boat to Hanging Neck. She wanted with all her will to blame it on the cursed blood running through her veins, but the idea that maybe she had always been this ruthless, had always been this capable of abominable acts was simply too fucking much. If her previous life had been this filled with competition and hardship would she have resorted to acts so heinous? Not that her prior life had been a piece of cake by any means but she never murdered someone over her situation.

Against Kazane's will images of familiar faces crossed her mind, and she willed them away as quick as they came.

She saw them in night terrors, she didn't need them plaguing her while she was awake.

As Yusuke's warm brown eyes met hers Kazane couldn't resist giving him a half-hearted thumbs up, and it took a few seconds before he repaid the gesture, a forced smile on his face.

Something was bothering him, and she needed to find out what it was.

Kazane sat back on her seat, crossing her arms and floating a few inches off the chair beneath her, watching as Yusuke and Kurama converged on the ring.

It would be fine, everything now would be fine.

* * *

Kazane watched with interest as Kurama and Gama fought, fists clenching and unclenching at the tenseness of the battle, and she was so swept in it she jumped when Hiei finally spoke.

"That shinobi out there is your brother."

She cast a sidelong glance at him, freezing momentarily as she registered the severity of his gaze.

"His name is Jin," She offered, adjusting her bun nervously. "He rescued me from Demon World. I've told you this before."

A beat of silence before Hiei spoke once more. "Why?"

Kazane paused before replying, thinking over once more (as she so often did) the events leading up to her landing on Genkai's doorstep. She had no idea why Jin rescued her from their father's clutches, and she had no idea what motivated him to help a half-breed. Or maybe Hiei had been asking why she told him, a thought she didn't want to linger on much less talk about. Still, she responded, her voice softening.

"I could feel him watching me for days before he showed up," She started, a warm grin starting to spread on her face despite the conversation's tone. "He was always hovering around the shack I lived in. I think he saw what I did every day, which wasn't anything particularly interesting. He was there, though. Always watching over me."

After Kazane spoke the words aloud she realized how hard-hitting it must be for Hiei, with him to always be watching Yukina from afar, too scared to intervene unless her life was in danger,

Against her better judgment she continued, partly to instill some sort of...something in Hiei that would make him aware of Yukina's potential gratitude, and partly because if she had to tell someone the embarrassing thoughts in her head better Hiei than anyone else, especially since she spilled her guts to him a month prior during training.

"He rescued me from our father, gave me a name, taught me the basics of harnessing wind," She continued, lapsing back into fond memory of finally escaping Rannon's estate. "I've wanted to see him again so badly. I wanted to thank him, and now he's finally here and I..."

The words caught in her throat as the tumultuous bullshit of the last fight came once again rearing its head, and Kazane swallowed thickly, looking out the tent at the throngs of demons in the stands calling for the blood of the human team.

For once she was glad that Hiei was content to sit in silence, at least with her, but the mood barely lingered before Kazane began humming songs from her previous life, trying to fill the void in the conversation and her in one effort. She fiddled with an errant strand on her sweater, offhandedly cursing at it. The garment had cost a decent amount, and it was comfortable. Tightly-fit and meant for durable "outdoor" wear, something Genkai heartily approved of. She'd have to strengthen the sewing once back at the temple.

"I don't think you're a monster."

Hiei's voice was so soft Kazane barely caught it, and she registered what he said a few seconds after they were spoken aloud. She tucked a coil of hair behind her ear, looking towards the fire demon but not meeting his eyes.

"I did some pretty shitty things."

Hiei huffed in amusement. "Compared to what I am, you're a saint. You protected those you care for in battle, in a battle that was impossible to win by pathetic human moral standards."

Hiei's eyes were half-lidded, his lips played in slight amusement, and Kazane returned the smile with more enthusiasm than she had thought capable of. This was the most genuine response she had ever seen from the demon, and it caught her off guard.

"I...thanks, Hiei."

Once again silence descended upon them as Kazane looked out towards the match, noting that everything was surprisingly going more or less to plan. Gama was lying still on the concrete, Kurama looking fully surprised at the events that transpired. Violet blood was strewn across not only the tiling but Kurama himself.

The fact that Hiei had intentionally tried to comfort her was a thought that kept returning to her mind, much as she tried to force it aside. He sat beside her, his (unfortunately wonderful) muscles in full view, and despite the fact the he was caged, and Kazane knew he hated that fact, he was sitting here willingly trying to assuage her guilt.

It had been the first time she had cried in front of any of them, truth be told.

"I don't think you're a monster, either," She said softly, once again not meeting his gaze, even as she felt the damnable ruby eyes rove over her. "For the record."

It took barely a moment for Hiei to turn from relatively lax, mouth slightly agape, to a posture of defensive stillness, and if his body language didn't exude it then his energy did. His mouth snapped closed.

"You have no idea what I've done," He whispered dangerously.

As a shiver crept up Kazane's spine she felt guilt heavy in her chest, because she did know, in a sense. She knew more than anyone dared to. She called her false confidence to surface, finally meeting his gemstone eyes.

"I don't care," She said loudly. It was true, she had said it before; redemption could be had. Whatever Hiei had done it was cast away when he joined Yusuke's band of misfits, and she didn't give a flying fuck.

If the silence before was comfortable then the one now was tense and full of something Kazane couldn't name. Her dumb, self-preserving habits coming to surface she quickly changed the subject, too uncomfortable with the conversation happening now.

"Tell me how your arm feels," She asked softly, resigning from her hover into her chair. As much as she loved using her wind power it still exhausted her when used for a prolonged period of time.

"Surprisingly, better," Hiei admitted begrudgingly, and Kazane smirked.

"Perhaps Ruka isn't so knowledgeable about her own forcefields," She whispered, leaning in close to Hiei's lobe and completely oblivious to his slight shiver as her breath ghosted down his neck.

She leaned back in her chair, once again fiddling with her bun as Toya came into view, the sunlight illuminating features that had been hidden in the darkness of their meeting at the pool.

He was cute, the shinobi mesh and weird drap-ey cloth hugging his figure well, and Kazane was reminded of the single night ago, when he was so close to her she could swear she felt the moisture freeze on her skin. His icy eyes seeing through her in a way she wasn't altogether used to.

Ah fuck, she couldn't think her brother's best friend was cute, especially not with a mind-reading demon so close to her.

It seemed that Hiei didn't need to read her thoughts to feel angered, as she was already leaned forward watching the fight instigate before them, her elbows resting on her knees, and Hiei let out a barely audible scoff.

She turned towards him, a brow quirked upwards, and he responded stiffly:

"He's ice. Too cold for your tastes."

A defensive mood rose up to meet Kazane, and she gave a half-smirk, turning away from the fire-demon next to her.

"And since when were you the authority on my tastes?"

Her words effectively elicited a furious mood from Hiei, and she shrank back, raising her arms around her head in a cushion. He decided to brood in silence, sending sharp glares to the redhead beside him and Toya out onto the field.

Toya was a mystery, much in the same way that Hiei was, except she had hardly an interaction with him aside from the strange meeting between the two. Kazane had always been a fan of 'bad boys'; the men she dated in her old life being on the wrong side of the law. Wind was too versatile, she thought grimly.

His adventure to meet her, though, on a surface level could be described as one defending his friend.

She was an unknown figure, an anomaly that Jin only mentioned, at least going by Toya's words.

At that thought Kazane frowned once more, sorrow coming to fruition. Did Jin talk about her? Toya said she motivated him to compete but was it really true? He would've joined anyway.

"Much as you _like_ him Kurama can't fight Toya in his current state," Hiei hissed, bringing Kazane back to Earth, and the redhead grimaced.

It was true, and she wanted to break out of their bindings and pull Kurama to the sidelines, but at the same time she could understand Toya's rage lurking beneath the surface.

He wanted to win this fight for his comrade.

And wasn't that just like her; to get involved with demons with complex and somewhat upstanding moral codes, while she acted like a fucking lunatic all the while? Goddamn.

Maybe she just longed for someone more honorable than she was capable of being.

_Oof_. Immediately Kazane tucked her thoughts away, trying to force them to the back of her mind. Now was the not the time for...whatever the fuck was going on.

During her furious internal musings Kazane noticed another pair of cerulean eyes dart towards her quickly before looking away, and she looked at where Jin was lazing about the edge of the tournament grounds with a bitter frown on her face.

She watched in surprise as Yusuke held Kuwabara back from barging into the ring in Kurama's defense, trying with all his might to break through Yusuke's iron arms.

"Kurama will be fine if he can buy enough time to move," Kazane said, and Hiei's eyes were once more on her. "Whatever Gama did rendered him immobile."

"That's nice, but I'd prefer to stay realistic," Hiei hissed, fist clenching at his side. "You and I both know Kurama has a nasty habit of getting himself injured in an attempt to figure out his opponents' abilities."

Whatever, it seemed Hiei was too pessimistic to be assuaged with Kazane's half-hearted attempts to cheer him up.

She settled in on her own thoughts, watching as the fights unfolded before her and feeling that anxious twinge in her gut all the same.

* * *

After the matches had finally ended Kazane sat in the bath of the hotel room, halfheartedly padding at the bubbles atop the water around her.

Baths always made her feel better, but now it just made her feel desolate.

A knock on the door caused her to jump, and she called out in the dimmed light of the main fixtures, feeling well and thoroughly put off if any of the guys attempted to interrupt her alone time.

"Jeez, can't a woman have a bath in peace around here?"

There was no hesitation before the voice replied. "Normally they would, but since it's you I want to have a conversation with I'd say I'm offered some liberties."

Genkai's voice was as gruff as ever, and as Kazane nearly choked on the bubbles threatening to consume her she blushed in embarrassment.

"Sorry. Come in."

Communal baths were a thing in Japan, weren't they? And it's not like Kazane had any modesty to really be had. In front of the only person in both lifetimes that had given her attention befitting a guardian, however, Kazane felt herself cowering beneath the bubbles, only her nose and above poking out.

Genkai strode into the room, locking the door behind her and sitting cross-legged next to the bath, making sure her eyes met the redhead's before her.

Kazane had known Genkai to be intimidating, but after what had happened, and the talk she knew would come, she found that she was at a complete loss for words in the psychic's presence.

It took a moment of silence before Genkai finally spoke.

"This room is soundproof, even if someone listened against the doors," She offered, and Kazane nodded, running body wash against her skin. "So whatever you need to say you don't need to be afraid of who'll hear."

It was a sweet gesture on Genkai's part, and as much as Kazane wanted to direct the flow of the conversation she couldn't, the words dying in her throat as soon as she planned them out. Sinking further into the scalding bath she frowned, tears nipping at the corners of her eyes.

Genkai sighed. "I said it before and I'll say it again; you knew. You knew Ichigaki was controlling the boys on his team, you knew that only the Spirit Wave could hope to stop it. Don't even try to deny it, you've been hinting at it since we were at the temple, poorly might I add."

Soundlessly Kazane nodded, because what else could she do? She felt trapped, but she knew this conversation had to happen eventually, and what better person to have it with than Genkai, the one who had spent so much time with her?

"You act like a human, but there have been many times now where your knowledge has reached far beyond what the experiences with me provide," Genkai continued, eyes drooping closed. If Kazane didn't know any better she'd think the old psychic asleep. "You're half demon, but you're insanely ignorant to the ways of demon culture. You knew, and yet you shouldn't know. Tell me."

Such a direct order rendered Kazane speechless for a moment, and she stuttered as she splayed her hands in the water.

"I..." It was so hard to say, but she had to. Genkai was asking her, and she didn't have a choice. If anyone wouldn't judge her it would be the woman who trained her, who raised her in the last nearly two decades.

"I've died once," Kazane whispered, and the words felt like some grand confession, the weight of it lifting off her shoulders. A ten ton weight. "I had a life before I was born here. I was almost twenty-five."

She watched Genkai out of the corner of her eyes, watching as the old psychic nodded slowly, a gnarled hand coming to support her chin as she sat.

"I assumed as much."

It was as much of an acceptance as any, and Kazane let out a breath from deep in her chest. It wasn't like her personality had changed very much in the last 10+ years, and one of the first things she asked Genkai for was a cigarette. There were so many things she didn't bother to keep hidden from the psychic since she came to her estate.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I was just...afraid. I haven't told the others."

Genkai sighed, letting out a strong breath through her nose, before she met Kazane's eyes. Cerulean on teak, two different worlds.

"Your fear of rejection will bite you in the ass," She said softly, and Kazane's eyebrows raised in surprise, but before she could rebuke the old psychic continued. "Almost everything that happened today was the result of you not sharing your knowledge with the others. Honestly, there was no other way to win that match, as I'm sure you know. Still. You're not stupid; you realize that the more you withhold from them the more it may potentially hurt them, and you?"

Kazane had thought countless times about the idea of sharing her knowledge with her teammates, but what good would it do?

It would doubtlessly be an invasion of privacy for them; someone who had no business knowing intimate details about their lives calling themselves their friend. Kuwabara might be understanding, and to an extent Yusuke would be as well, but Kurama would resent her. And Hiei? She didn't even want to think about what his reaction would be if he knew.

"I don't care about your ability to sense the future," Genkai continued, voice harsh. "And I don't care to know any predictions about my own. All I'll say is if you care for those boys so much telling them is in your best interest."

Genkai did have a point, even if it was one Kazane begrudgingly accepted. The redhead nodded slowly, chewing on her bottom lip.

"Okay. Not now, not at the tournament though. I think me telling them now would only distract them."

Her guardian gave a slow nod before standing upright with a groan, the cracks and pops in her limbs betraying her age, and Kazane frowned.

"If you don't get out of here soon you'll be a dried up prune like me."

As Kazane smiled softly to herself Genkai exited the room, closing the door gently behind her with a click. It took a few moments of deep breaths and truly mulling over the conversation that had just ended, but finally Kazane stepped out of the bath, taking care not to slip on the tiles and break her neck.

* * *

The sight to which she exited the bath was not what she expected at all.

A choir of maniacal laughing greeted her as she stepped into the main area, most everyone cackling with tears in their eyes. Kuwabara was the most animated of the bunch, his mouth opened to an insane degree as laughter poured out of it.

As every eye caught Kazane's figure, however, the laughing ceased, and she thought maybe she should have just stayed in the bathroom as a prune.

Yusuke's brown eyes turned to face her, and Kazane walked out, trying to mask her uncertainty with stoic confidence. She took one look at Puu on Yusuke's head before all resolve crumbled immediately.

"Oh my god, he's so cute!"

At that everyone resumed their laughing, and Kazane strode forward to scoop up the weird, cute, penguin-esque being in her arms, cradling it gently.

"I never knew how adorable you were inside!" Kuwabara roared, pinching Yusuke's cheek's. "You're as pure as a little girl!"

Immediately Yusuke gave a swift right hook to Kuwabara, knocking him onto the coffee table, and Kazane sighed.

"How adorable was that?!" Yusuke called, and immediately Kuwabara crept up towards Yukina to beg her for some healing.

Finally seeing Hiei's sister in the flesh was something Kazane was wholly unprepared for, and she found herself staring more than she should at the color of the ice apparition's hair and eyes, eyes that were a reflection of Hiei's own, albeit softened. She was entirely too gorgeous and sweet, and Kazane felt that familiar surge of protectiveness consume her as she watched Yukina hesitantly converse with everyone in her kimono.

If the sight of Yusuke's wrath was impressive, then Shizuru's was ten times more impressive as she beat the ever-living shit out of her baby brother.

As festivities continued and Kazane felt she had less and less to contribute to the conversations she stealthily walked outside on the balcony. The wind was absolutely awful but it gave her some reprieve from the company inside.

It was so awkward and uncomfortable, being with her friends now. They'd all seen what she'd done; it wasn't like they couldn't look at her and just ignore it. Even Botan with her vast experience as a grim reaper probably detested her actions.

This brought up a new question; did serial killers get led into spirit world by helpful grim reapers? Those poor women.

The sound of a sliding glass door caught her attention, and before she could come up with some sharp retort Yusuke sat down next to her on the floor.

More awkward silence, it seemed. She had no idea how he was comfortable being out here; he was still in his sleeveless attire. It was fucking cold.

"Hey," Yusuke began, and Kazane glanced over at the boy. His expression was pained and rigid, and she turned away, looking out into the hotel grounds. It was that same expression he had on his face at the match earlier. "I get why you did what you did today, but still."

There was something tense going on, and the demoness was completely oblivious to why. Much as she called Yusuke her other brother there was no way she could fathom what was going on in his brain.

"You always do this shit!" Yusuke yelled, half-heartedly slamming a fist on the ground. "You _always_ try and put things on yourself, and I don't get why. Even at Maze Castle you did. I never wanted you to compete in the first place, but now...You don't need to put yourself on the front lines for me anymore. I'm a big boy. I can take it."

It was all starting to make sense now. Yusuke getting irritated when Kazane addressed his stupid foot wound, the conflicting expressions he wore on the field just hours earlier. The realization made her choke on air and want to smack herself to oblivion.

Kazane had never felt that anyone would be scared of losing her.

"Yusuke," She began, but the greaser cut her off angrily.

"No, don't do that! You don't get to do that! You got messed up today, Kazane, and I can't have that."

Kazane froze. This moment was becoming way too much for her, but still she sat, waiting for the rest of Yusuke's words to come tumbling out of his mouth. She didn't have much to say, and so she would just let him talk and get everything off his chest.

"You want forgiveness? Then fine, you're forgiven," He continued. "But I'm not going to sit on the sidelines and watch you protect me. I can't. That's not me, Kazane, and you know that."

A tightness returned to her throat, and she swallowed thickly, avoiding Yusuke's gaze. What could she say? I'm sorry? She was doing what she thought was best. There was no other way out of the situation that she could see without him dying. Again, and she couldn't allow that.

"Just...promise me you won't do anything stupid again, alright?"

At the detective's pleading tone Kazane looked up, noting a definite gleam in his eyes, and she laid her head on his bony shoulder. She scoffed, clearing her throat in an attempt to stifle the emotion welling up.

"You know me, bonehead. I'll do stupid things all I like. Especially when it comes to you."

Much to her surprise Yusuke sighed deeply, pausing before his lips twitched upwards, and laid his head atop hers, looking out into the darkness.

"Yeah, whatever, asking was a long shot anyway. I guess that's family, right?"

Kazane glanced up, hoping that Yusuke couldn't feel the definite moisture soaking into his shoulder.

"Yeah. That's family."

* * *

**Note:**

**Genkai is hard as _fuck_ to write, oh my god. But Kazane has finally admitted her shit to someone, and of course it's Genkai. This will come into play more significantly later on down the line, not so much right now.**

**Like I said, small HieixKazane moment. I promise ToyaxKazanexHiei won't become a torrid love triangle, as much fun as writing that would be. Or maybe you guys would like that? Let me know, I can adjust for more tension. Point being Kazane doesn't really understand how she feels about Hiei in the first place. Dude makes her uncomfortable for a lot of reasons she doesn't want to think about, which is...a step? Yeah. We'll have more in-depth moments later, I promise.**

**As per usual the most love ever to my followers and lurkers, and the best of hugs to rsaenz18, Pein's number 1 Girl, xenocanaan, AmericanNidiot, Vienna22, WaYaADisi1, and cocobyrd87**


	14. Do I Wanna Know?

A day off was nice, even if it came at the price of two matches in a row.

Kazane was awake before nearly everyone else, Genkai the only other presence in the room as the redhead worked breakfast up in the kitchen. She had sent the man who brought room service away curtly, and the poor guy looked absolutely lost about what to do. Now she was flipping pancakes on the skillet while Genkai sipped her tea, trying to come up with a reasoning behind why she was so anxious.

The worst was over, right? Aside from fighting Toguro. Still, there was something she was forgetting, and she wanted to slap herself. Kazane had tried to pen down everything she could remember when she first came to Genkai's, but her notes were no help. Nearly twenty years in a new body would cause memories to fade, she supposed.

After she had arrived at Genkai's it didn't take long for her to realize that although she had a decent idea of how plot would unfold up to the Dark Tournament arc, most events after that were hazy. She could recall the general idea of the arcs, yeah, but specific plot points were a mystery to her.

Kazane stomped out the panic immediately; she'd worry about that later. For now she just had to focus on keeping her boys alive and well, and by extension herself.

Kurama stepped into the room, already dressed in his handsome, white outfit, and he poured himself a cup of coffee. His eyes roamed over the demoness before him, a slightly-amused expression on his face as he took in her determined cooking.

"Hiei and I will be observing the match today," He began. "Will you and the others be joining us?"

Kazane set the last pancake at the top of the stack, moving to place it on the already set table.

"Yeah, we'll be there after everyone finishes up breakfast. Are you hungry?"

A softer smile spread across the demon's lips. "No, thank you. It does indeed look delicious, though."

"Thanks."

Kurama's gaze was full of silent understanding, and Kazane left the room, heading towards where everyone was sleeping.

The moment with Yusuke had quelled her nerves, but she still could feel the underlying pity in her friends' gazes. As much as she knew Kurama and Hiei understood better than anyone (save for Genkai, maybe), it was still awkward, and she naturally shied away from interaction.

She brutally ripped the covers off Yusuke's bed, berating him when he fought to keep them over his frame. Nonsensical obscenities spouted from his mouth, and Kazane returned them eagerly. After the brat was finally up and moving she stepped towards Kuwabara's room, surprised to find the ginger already up and sitting on the edge of his bed.

"Oh, you're up. Breakfast is ready, I made pancakes."

Kuwabara shot her a warm grin before getting up and stretching. "Awesome, I can't wait." He hesitated before speaking, gently gripping Kazane's wrist. "Hey, uh...I just wanted to say that I'm really happy you're here with us. We're all in this together, you know?"

Kazane bit her lip, avoiding her friend's eyes. His words did mean something to her, and they were incredibly touching. Still.

She didn't feel like she deserved them, really. Kuwabara was a devoted, wholesome soul, and compared to him she was...

"Yeah, um...thank you. That means a lot, man."

As she left the bedroom she wanted to wring her own neck. She could fake bravado and confidence when things were serious, but only if it was during a fight or some other altercation. Intimacy, whole-heartedness; they were way too much for her to be comfortable with.

Maybe there was something wrong with her.

Breakfast proceeded much as it normally did, Kazane downing a truly impressive amount of coffee before the group set off from the hotel to meet with Botan. Another gorgeous day outside, she wondered how such good weather could happen for such a fucked up place.

She walked mainly in silence, allowing Botan and Yusuke to take up most of the conversation, Kuwabara sometimes popping in with a comment or two. She really didn't want to watch the match in all honesty. Toguro's gang would be there, and she hated the idea of looking at his stupid haircut and idiotic glasses. He looked like a fucking cop, if a cop was an insanely jacked, merciless demon.

Maybe there were demon cops, who could say for sure?

As the group made their way towards the stadium a voice called out to Kazane amidst the crowd, and she stuttered to a halt, the others following suit.

"And just what are you two doing here?" Kuwabara began, fist clenched, but Kazane held out a hand.

"It's okay."

As Jin stared at her, his eyes glittering, she felt her throat constrict. At his side Toya simply stared at her friends with slightly guarded eyes, glancing between the redhead and her companions. Kazane was immediately grateful Hiei wasn't here otherwise she'd never hear the end of it. Or maybe he would just go out of his way to ignore her. He was weird like that.

"Hey, why don't you guys go ahead. I'd like a moment to talk to my brother," Kazane said, ignoring Kuwabara's cries of protest. The ginger was pulled away rather forcefully by Botan, who glanced at Jin before shooting Kazane a not-at-all-subtle thumbs up. She repressed the urge to roll her eyes.

"We'll see you later," Yusuke replied, clapping a hand to her back before heading towards the stadium with the rest of them. Kazane didn't miss the pointed look he shot the two demons before them, and she appreciated that even though Yusuke was fond of Jin he was still concerned with her wellbeing.

The throngs of people heading to the match caused the three to start away from the path towards the water, and as Kazane stood before her brother on the shore she realized she had no idea what to say. She had planned out their reunion so many times in her head, going over what she would say to him, but now after everything that had happened nothing came to mind.

Toya had straight up admitted that Jin knew she was here, and yet he didn't bother to even come and see her. It wasn't a secret where the invited team was staying, he could have come to the hotel himself. A mix of longing and anger coiled in her gut, and she bit her lip, trying to focus on something else. Anything else.

Her attention landed on Toya's face, where a bruise was blooming on his right cheek. It looked fresh, but she could tell it was already healing.

"Ouch, was that from the match?"

"No..." He glanced at Jin before clearing his throat, but he didn't continue.

"Aye, Kaz, you look good," Jin quickly spoke, and at his words Kazane felt that same strange longing filling her chest. It had been so long since she had heard his voice address her. "Fit as a fiddle, and ye can fight! Sure as the day is long I knew ye had it in you."

Toya shuffled beside him before turning away. "I'll be heading to the match. It was good to see you again, Kazane."

"You too, Toya," She replied sincerely, and she watched him go regretfully. Yeah, Toya was cute, but at least if he was here then it wouldn't be so fucking awkward between her and Jin.

Jin was as tall as ever, and Kazane wondered how the hell she was barely pushing five feet when the demon before her stood nearly as tall as Kuwabara. It just wasn't fair. How did demon genes work anyway? How did human genes and demon genes mingle in a body? Were demon genes inherently more dominant?

She crossed her arms, looking out at the water instead of her brother. "Where have you been? I know you knew I was here. I saw you at the last match. What gives?"

Jin ran a hand through his hair, effectively making it stand even more on end. A hesitant grimace spread across his face, and he crossed the distance between them, standing a few inches in front of Kazane. His next words were soft, and he looked at the ground instead of her.

"I didn't know if ye wanted to see me, is all."

At Kazane's stunned silence he continued.

"Whatever ye want in the whole world, that's the prize for winnin' this tournament. With that we could live on this here island, be free from demon world. No more red skies, no more fightin' unless I make it so."

She had never seen her brother look so serious, and Kazane's lips twisted in a frown as she took in his words. She was touched, sure, and she knew regardless of her existence Jin would come here eventually.

"I didn't ask you to do that," She began, nearly regretting what she said as Jin's face fell. "You idiot, I just missed you. I just wanted to see you again. I don't need a giant chunk of rock, I just need my brother."

Her voice broke on the last syllable, and she stepped forward, wrapping him in embrace. The familiar smell of lavender and fresh air invaded her senses, and the turmoil in her chest quieted as Jin reciprocated, easily picking her up in his arms and spinning her through the air. Against her will Kazane let out a laugh, gripping onto his forearms.

"I can't give ye a whole island now, it seems like," Jin joked. "So a moot point it is."

After placing her gently on the ground the two stayed like that for a moment longer before Kazane pulled away, seating herself down on the grass and looking out at the water before them. How long had she waited for this moment, for the chance to see Jin again? She knew it would come, but sitting here now felt like it was just another dream.

"Okay, so what happened with Toya's face?" She asked, her brows knitting in confusion as Jin awkwardly fidgeted with a blade of grass beside her. "What?"

The wind demon muttered something before Kazane asked for clarification, and the tips of his pointed ears turned scarlet.

"He said ye were pretty," He admitted, looking anywhere but the redhead beside him.

It took a second for Kazane to respond, fighting to keep the smile off her face as well as the blush.

"What, and for that you punched him?"

"You're my little sister!" Jin cried. "Can't just have a lad gettin' any ideas, friend of mine though he might be."

Laughter coursed through Kazane's body, and she clutched her stomach as she doubled over. Beside her Jin looked perplexed and embarrassed, and he rolled his eyes. Her laughter finally subsided, and she glanced over at him.

"What are you going to do now?"

Jin hesitated before responding, shrugging a shoulder. "Oh, the usual; campin', fightin', flyin'."

He would have to go back to Demon World now after the Tournament, as much as Kazane wanted him to remain in this realm with her. At least he had Toya to keep him company there; the two seemed as thick as thieves. She thought of Kurama and Hiei's friendship. Camaraderie was hard to find in Demon World, it seemed, but once you found it it was an all-encompassing thing.

Kazane sighed, trying not to dwell too much on the future. She re-secured her hairtie before turning to her brother.

"I can fly now, you know? Well, more like prolonged floating, I guess. I got the hang of it a couple years ago. I can't do it for crazy long like you, but-"

At her rambling words Jin's eyes lit up, and he immediately raised to full height, offering a hand.

"Well, what are we waitin' for then? How about some sight-seein'?"

* * *

Kazane popped the top off another bottle of beer, staring out at the hotel grounds from her seat on the overhang.

Yusuke and Genkai still weren't back, but she assumed that would be the case. Even with the threat of the upcoming match she felt good, much as she wished Yusuke would be there to fight alongside her. Maybe it was the alcohol numbing her senses. Whatever.

She wished there was something she could do to help the spirit detective, but his trials as Genkai's successor were his own to face, and if she were in that cave with them she'd just get in the way.

The stars above were gorgeous, and Kazane stared up at them, running fingers through her unkempt locks. The jaunt with Jin earlier had truly ruined the style she had it in, but she wasn't mad. Flying around the island with her brother had been infinitely worth it. There wasn't much time for conversation until they landed near the arena, and even then it was mostly Jin asking her about her techniques. Ever since she had seen him hover and fly she wished for the opportunity to soar through the sky alongside him, and now it finally happened, the two playing tag for an inordinately long time.

The act made her feel like a little kid again, and it had been _so_ goddamn long since she had felt like that. She was exhausted.

"You seem to be in a good mood."

The redhead turned, her grin barely faltering as Hiei sat himself beside her. He eyed the bottle in her hand before looking up at the same sky. The slight breeze ruffled his onyx locks, and where Kazane sat she could catch the faint whiff of evergreen and char.

"I guess I am," Kazane admitted, offering one of the unopened beers at her side. "Here, drink with me."

"As if I'd drink that disgusting swill," Hiei spat, glaring at the bottle.

She pressed it closer to him, pouting. "Come onnn, drink with me. It's our day off, I've been reunited with my brother; this calls for a celebration."

It took Kazane physically prodding him with the cold glass before the demon relented, letting out a heavy sigh before popping the top off and taking a swig for himself. She watched as his adam's apple bobbed, drinking calmly before a frown appeared on his lips.

"Awful," He said simply, and Kazane smiled.

She leaned back against the glass, shivering slightly at the breeze once again rolling past them, and she subtly scooted closer to the warmth Hiei exuded. Without a second thought she began humming, pausing every so often to take a sip of her beverage.

Now that Hiei was actually beside her she couldn't help a thought from worming its way into her head, and she tried to tuck it away, unsuccessfully. The heat he gave off was a constant reminder that he was next to her, as if the wind blowing his scent in her direction wasn't already enough. She didn't turn to face the man as she spoke, staring up at the moon. She could kind of make out large craters on it, but then again who the fuck knew. It seemed impossibly far away. Her eyesight was miles better in this life, though.

"Hey, how come you always come and hangout with me late at night?"

Beside her Hiei stiffened, and Kazane watched in amusement as he took a drink himself, grimacing at the taste. The haze of alcohol was getting to her, and against her better judgment she noted that she really liked the way Hiei sat, one leg outstretched while the other was upright before him. She often sat like that, or at least some bastardization of the posture. Having a leg curled under her or upright just felt nice.

"It's just that whenever we're around the others you-"

"I won't lose to someone like Toya."

His words were vague, and Kazane just stared at him in confusion. They weren't going to be fighting Team Masho anymore, what the hell was he talking about? Or was he planning on fighting the ice apparition regardless?

"Our interactions are nobody else's business," Hiei finished, looking into the redhead's eyes seriously.

"Um, okay," Kazane replied uncertainly, her face growing hot. She had no idea what was going on here. Hiei was being way too cryptic, and she really didn't want to spend time pondering his words.

The whole point of coming out onto the overhang was to relax, dammit.

As inelegant as Kazane's response was it seemed Hiei accepted it, for he rested his back against the glass as well, closing his eyes. The hum of cicadas mingled with the sound of water, filling the silence between them. She finished her beer in record time, pausing before grabbing another.

Usually in this situation she would head inside, remove herself from the awkwardness. Spending time alone with Hiei always gave her the same feeling, and her first instinct was to just leave, if he didn't first. Instead of getting up, however, she grabbed the beer, ignoring the look Hiei sent her way.

Despite whatever the fuck he was talking about, she kind of liked hanging around with him. The warmth was nice, and he knew when to shut up and just sit. It wasn't the worst company in the world, really.

She began humming once more, closing her eyes as she got lost in the melody.

She didn't want to think about the upcoming match tomorrow, or contemplate plans of attack for her opponent. She had been doing that nearly all day, childlike antics with Jin aside. All she really wanted to do was bask in a simple moment, muscles sore from speeding around the island earlier, and relax. She deserved that...maybe. The others definitely did.

It didn't take long for fatigue to overwhelm her, and Hiei stiffened as the demoness' head pressed against his shoulder.

"And just what-"

His irritated words were cut off as he looked over and noted her heavy breathing.

He had no idea what to do in a situation like this, and he tried nudging her off his shoulder. The act only resulted in Kazane grumbling angrily, her head falling onto his thigh, and Hiei squeezed his eyes shut in exasperation. At least the others were asleep by now.

Instead of trying to wake her once more he looked down at her face. Her expression was soft, something that was hard to find when she was awake. The lines usually creasing between her eyebrows disappeared, as well as the frown she wore when she was off in thought. All of the tension in her muscles was gone, truly relaxed, and against his better judgment Hiei hesitantly placed a hand atop her head. He gently wove her red locks in his fingers, brushing smaller pieces back from her forehead. He preferred her hair loose, though it was a smart move keeping it tied up during combat, as impractical as it was. Entirely too long.

Kazane's earlier question came to mind and he realized that though he gave her an answer he was still confused by it. He didn't know why he always found himself drawn to her side during the night. He didn't know why he enjoyed her sarcastic, merciless sleights or crude humor. He didn't know why he secretly enjoyed the songs she always seemed to be singing.

He was a demon, and the things he'd done were abominable. He didn't deserve good things.

He was jarred from his contemplation as Kazane's small hand curled around the fabric of his cloak, clutching it tightly. The sight of it filled Hiei with some unnameable warmth, and he found himself not shying away from it this time, as he had so many times previously. She was sound asleep, no doubt thanks to the disgusting beer in her system, and he sat there with her, staring up at the moon. He didn't deserve a moment like this, but Kazane was asleep and nobody was around to pass judgment.

He'd bask in this simple moment.

As the hour dragged on Hiei gently freed his cloak from her grip, hefting her up into his arms. He marveled at how light she was despite the amount of muscle packed onto her small frame. Even with the movement she continued to sleep, only turning her head in towards his chest as he carried her throughout the hotel. Her scent permeated his senses, jasmine and tea, and he tried to ignore it, laying her down on the plush bed.

As he withdrew his touch he noticed goosebumps spreading across her pale skin, and he lifted the covers over her. He stood there like that for a moment, just watching the even breaths causing the rise and fall of her chest.

Her energy was definitely demonic, and he could tell that her blood sang with destruction. The way she interacted with the others, on a surface level at least, was similar to many demons he had come across in his life; they all rebuked with a harsh tongue and sharp wit. At least, the ones he knew personally.

Still, there was that part of her that was undoubtedly human, and it made him uncomfortable. It came forth in her cooking, the warm smiles she sent her teammates' way when she thought they weren't looking. The indescribable guilt and regret he had felt during the Ichigaki match. The sheer force with which she cared for the ones close to her, especially the detective.

Thinking back to what he told Kazane earlier Hiei smirked, eyes half-lidded as he turned towards the door.

Her limbs were always cool to the touch, and nobody could grant her warm comfort like he could. Her side was no place for an ice apparition.

* * *

**Note:**

**Shorter chapter, but I promise the next will be considerably longer since it's the last two matches of the Tournament.**

**A couple things: 1) Jin not bringing up what happened during the Ichigaki Team fight is intentional. More on that later. 2) Very poignant Hiei moment. I've decided not to incorporate Toya into a love triangle situation, but he appears here for some spice. 3) Hiei has kind of (more or less) come to terms with the fact that at the very least he takes an interest in Kazane. Which is more than she's allowing herself. Both are still trying to figure out what the fuck that means for them, at their own pace and comfortability.**

**My whole heart to xenocanaan, rsaenz18, Pein's number 1 Girl, Vienna22, Mediocre Dunces, AmericanNidiot, wickedlfairy17, and cocobyrd87 for the reviews.**

**Pein's number 1 Girl: Unfortunately Rannon won't be in the Toguro lineup (as interesting an idea as that would be), but soon we will see parts of Kazane's past coming back, as well as some twists.**

**Mediocre Dunces: I am very happy you love the Mountain Goats, they're one of my favorites and will have subtle references peppered throughout the fic. ;)**


	15. Jenny Was a Friend of Mine

Kazane's dreamless sleep was interrupted by a gruff voice calling to her.

Angrily she batted away at the sound, trying to delve deeper under the covers. She wanted to sleep the day away. Immediately her comforter was stripped from her, and she cried out angrily, her protests cutting off as she met Kuwabara's gaze.

"We gotta go; the next round is starting soon."

Even Kurama was standing beside him, and Kazane tried to remember what happened the previous night; the smell of evergreen and char coming to her senses. Immediately she looked around her room for a familiar figure, a frown coming to her lips as she realized it was empty. Hiei's spirit energy lingered in the space, though, and Kazane realized she had no idea how she felt about it.

She just wanted to have some beers, relax, and watch the stars. Somehow she had found herself comfortably tucked into her hotel's lodgings, a glass of water on the side table, and as curious as she was she didn't want to dwell on the thoughts. Even her own clothes were tainted with that scent.

"Alright, alright. I'm up. I'll meet you there in a minute."

At her words both boys withdrew from the room, leaving Kazane to her musings. She had a mild headache, but nowhere near as bad as her previous hangovers were in her deadened life. She downed the glass of water eagerly. Maybe being half-demon had its perks after all.

She crossed her legs over the edge of the bed, running a hand through her hair and trying to wrangle it into something presentable. Maybe for all the bullshit her life actually had some semblance of routine to it.

Back at the temple it was definitely more domestic; cooking for Genkai and sparring with her, heckling Yusuke during his training. Here the routine was broken by the occasional incident; Jin seeking her company and even Toya's appearance at the poolside. Eating breakfast with the boys, competing or watching the fights, and having strange encounters with Hiei were all pretty par for the course.

She tucked that thought away. Kazane knew she often said stupid things when she was drinking, and the fact her clothes reeked of his scent made her want to throw them in the washing machine. She had no idea how she got into her bed, but she could venture a guess.

The idea of the fire demon actually tucking her in was enough to make her grind her teeth harshly.

There was no time for breakfast as the boys had apparently let her sleep for longer than usual, and she munched on some granola bars as they made their way to the new stadium. Hiei only appeared once the three had left the hotel, and Kazane eagerly ignored the pointed, if subtle glances Kurama sent her way.

He was too observant for his own good.

It was fucking awful outside, the sky nearly purple in color and the wind whipping around them with force. She probably should feel at home in it, but at the moment it was irritating, blowing tendrils of hair into her face.

Looking up at the new stadium she frowned. What an abrupt tone shift. The entire structure looked like something from a bad 90s videogame, strange coils and dark metal gleaming in the dim light. The weather combined with this atrocity was enough to put her in a foul mood.

They made their way closer to the team entrance, and as the hisses and chants from the stadium met her ears Kazane felt her muscles tighten. She supposed she should be used to it by now. Not that she felt threatened by the onlookers, but it really didn't help to have crowds curse her and her team loudly.

"Hey, it'll all be okay," Kuwabara whispered to her, his trademark confident smile radiating. His jacket was draped over his shoulders, the collar popped. She resisted the urge to poke fun at it; dude was a street thug, through and through.

"Yeah," Kazane replied softly, going through her calming tactics. Thumb to ring finger, pointer finger. Pinky. Middle finger. Repeat.

The door opened dramatically, and she winced at the artificial light shining through onto her figure.

She preferred the old stadium; these idiots had no sense of style whatsoever. At least the last fighting grounds opened up to the sky.

"I was not exactly expecting to fight this round four against five," Hiei said, and his words caused a shiver to crawl up Kazane's spine against her will.

"Whatever cause is delaying them must be important," Kurama added. "We'll simply have to work around it."

"It'll be fine," Kazane responded, echoing Kuwabara's words to her moment ago. "We're more than enough for these chumps."

"Kazane's right!" Kuwabara yelled. "Besides, I don't know why you're stressin' Hiei. I'll just beat 'em all myself if I have to! Let's go."

The four strode onto the field, Kazane counting every step she took as she made her way towards the ring. This was one match she had completely glossed over, and spent most of yesterday thinking about when she wasn't distracted by her brother or the fire demon beside her. She had been so thoroughly weighed down with the predicament of the Ichigaki team it made everything else seem null in comparison.

Juri was absolutely adorable, despite her weird tail and fish ears. Kazane eyed her outfit with admiration, wishing she could pull off something similar. Black, tightly-fitting spandex? That was her bread and butter.

What was it about women with blue hair that she really loved?

Both teams approached the center, and she ignored most eyes for the "old man" standing before them, knowing the wrinkled skin was a disguise. It was kind of amusing how much of a strong face everyone was making for the tournament, all of her team fixing the other with a cold gaze. Even she was standing as intimidatingly as possible, one hand affixed on her hip.

Koto's voice rang through the stadium, giving her opinions, and Kazane tried to lock away the anxiety humming in her veins as she stared down the competitors.

Another fight. She would give it her all, especially since this time was on (arguably) less dire circumstances. The match would be just that; a match. Not a merciless slaughter of controlled humans. Kill or be killed, but in a much more honorable way.

And there was no way she would be coming out of this one unscathed, for sure.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Kuwabara protested, angrily addressing Koto and interrupting Kazane's internal musings. "I said I'm takin' 'em all myself!"

In front of them Shishiwakamaru scoffed. "I thought we agreed on a good fight. What has happened to the rest of your team?"

"Big words from someone who's team name means literally 'Reverse Bedtime Stories'," Kazane hissed, exposing her incisors. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"My dear don't you know?" The lilac-haired man before her smirked. "A reverse dream is a nightmare. Which is exactly what we are."

"Well, whatever your stupid name means, those guys just decided you weren't worth their time," Kuwabara added, smiling at the furious glare his words elicited.

Juri tactfully intervened in the over-the-top glaring that Kazane found herself wrapped up in.

"It is now time to choose the conditions for your fight."

Hiei shot Kazane a brief look before staring up at Kuwabara. His ruby eyes were cold, a complete juxtaposition from the previous night.

Kazane wanted to slam her fists against her skull. Enough with thinking about prior events! What the fuck did it matter if Hiei spent time with her, had probably (likely) tucked her into bed? Had actually gotten her a glass of water?

She'd think about this bullshit later. Now was not that time for...this.

"It doesn't matter. Let's just see who lives."

His tone left no room for debate, firm and decisive. He would also give his all against these fighters, no question, and he would slaughter them mercilessly with his blade.

Kazane thought back to the training at the temple and was internally thankful Hiei hadn't sliced her to ribbons during their spar, something he would no doubt attempt to do with those before him.

The demon with neon yellow hair and gum roaming around his mouth fixed Hiei with a glare.

"You're a hasty one, aren't you, boy?"

Immediately Kazane bristled on his behalf, the wind picking up around them as she hovered a hand atop her fans. An amused look was shot her way as the man smirked.

"I take it _one_ of you two are fighting first."

"That's right _I _am," Hiei responded pointedly as he bent lower into something akin to fighting stance. "First, last, and only."

The gum popped across his face, and briefly Kazane was distracted by the gross act. Now there would be sticky residue on his chin, and she very much doubted the demon actually washed his fucking face.

Ugh.

"I've been under too much stress lately," Hiei continued, his fist clenched at his side. With a start Kazane realized it was still the wrappings she had adorned a few days ago. Her knots were messy as all hell, but they did the job. "Killing you all should be a good remedy."

Navy and black flames broached the surface, the sheer lethality of energy emanating from it causing the hairs on the back of the redhead's neck to stand on end. She remembered the first match Hiei had used the Dragon Flame, how she could feel the insane power reverberate in her bones.

She could understand Zeru's terror, because if faced with that on the battlefield she would likely lose her collective shit.

"I have an idea," Shishiwakamaru interrupted, holding up golden dice in his dexterous hands. "Why don't we let an outside party decide the pairings? Each six-sided die represents a team, with one member's name on each side. The sixth is a free space, and anyone can fight when it comes up. You must fight as many times as your name appears as long as you're still alive."

Ah, fuck. Kazane had forgotten about the stupid dice this pretty-boy demon toted around. If fate had different plans then her entire recollections of the matchups would be null and void. Still, there was consistency thus far despite her involvement. Surely that would continue. Right?

"Doesn't bother me," Hiei responded immediately, amusement alight in his tone. "But one thing; Whenever it's the name of someone not around I will be fighting in their place."

Juri's voiced roamed across the stands melodiously, and despite the confidence Kazane's team exuded she felt that same anxiety within her.

"Fate makes her choice," Shishiwakamaru spoke softly, throwing the dice out into the match, and Kazane waited with bated breath.

Surely fate would smile upon them, yes? Not like much else had really changed so far. As the clacking of dice became less obvious she stared at the faces before a soft exhale left her lips.

"Looks like you've got Makintaro, Kazane," Kuwabara spoke, a frown crossing his face.

What the fuck?

"Alright fans," Juri called. "It's the first match-up of the semi-finals! The beautiful Kazane versus the big man Makintaro!"

At least Juri had been sweet enough to dub her the title of beautiful, jesus christ. She bit her lip as she watched her teammates disappear towards the edge, and was somewhat thankful that if she got saddled with an opponent it would be an easier one.

Who knew what would happen with the next fights though, now? She had been prepping for Suzuki.

Kazane stood before the behemoth, twirling her fans in her hands as she examined him. Clearly not very speedy, and definitely the weakest on the team. All in all, not the worst fight she could have had. Between Hiei and her both of them would hold an advantage given their speed.

"Begin!" Juri called, stepping back gracefully from the middle of the ring, and immediately Kazane willed her wind powers into action.

It started off as mostly strong gusts, before coalescing into thick streams of dirt and debris.

Immediately she whipped forward, using the wind to propel her to insane speeds, before skirting around the demon and aiming out with her fans.

She wouldn't need her daggers for this fight, she already knew. The fool before her was much too slow for any technique she might try, and she knew from memories a lifetime ago Hiei could slice his arm off without him even noticing.

Makintaro tried his best to keep up with her, but it was like an elephant following a hummingbird. Every time he twisted in one direction she was immediately gone, and it seemed to enrage the demon as he began shouting angrily. His overexaggerated swipes with his arm-formed ax didn't even come close to grazing her.

Purple blood fountained from the wounds she caused as Kazane skirted around him, gusts of wind effectively removing his arms and his legs. The force of the blow sent him toward the edges of the ring, and she watched as the demon before her gave agonizing breaths, his violet blood coating the stone surface.

Makintaro's eyes widened as she laid one of her daggers against the softer expanse of his neck, and after he let out a sharp exhale she dragged the blade across his windpipe, more bodily fluids coming to the surface.

It wasn't much of a fight, really, she lamented. No wonder Hiei made such quick work of him previously.

Immediately Juri's voice came to her aid as she strode back towards her compatriots, lamenting the blood spread across the sleeves of her shirt.

"And the winner by death is Kazane! That means it's time for match two."

Hiei's ruby eyes caught her gaze as she stood alongside him and Kurama, an amused expression on his face.

With a start she realized it was similar to the fictitious fight from her previous world, and she chewed on the inside of her cheek, ignoring him.

Both of them were cut throat and merciless when it came to battle.

On the farthest side Kuwabara was looking somewhat beside himself with admiration, and he clapped a hand onto Kazane's shoulder eagerly. The motion nearly made her fall over.

"See?" He grinned. "What'd I tell ya?"

In front of her Shishiwakamaru fixed her with a steady glare, a frown set upon his face as both referees called out their observations to the stands.

Immediately the dice were thrown up into the air before clattering onto the stone floor, and Kazane held her breath. At least Uraotogi's member was still matching up with canon.

The dice came to a stop, and Kazane stared in surprise at the two names fixed on the top. Beside her Hiei smirked, striding out onto the ring. In the overwhelming unnatural light in the stadium she could see the tint of navy blue that reflected in his hair.

"The second match of the semi-finals will be Hiei versus Kuro Momotaro!" Juri called enthusiastically.

As Kuwabara shouted over at the opposing team Kurama turned towards Kazane.

"I'm afraid this might prove to be a difficult battle; Hiei has not recovered from using the Dragon previously."

There had been some record broken this tournament, right? Hiei went completely undefeated? Yeah, that definitely sounded like him.

She tried to will up some confidence, sending Kurama a small smile.

"Nah, he'll be fine."

She watched as Hiei strode forward, Kuro Momotaro starting to no doubt send light insults his way. At the sight of Hiei's smirk Kazane relaxed. At least something was going according to canon.

Beside her Kurama tugged gently at her sleeve, and she looked up at him, startled by the intensity behind his eyes. Her winning the previous match couldn't have possibly made him angry, could it? That would make no sense.

"This is not the most opportune time, but I must ask: what are your intentions with Hiei?"

Kurama's quiet words threw her completely off guard, and Kazane glanced over at where Kuwabara was thankfully fully immersed in the match before them. Heat spread to her ears, and she pointedly looked out towards the stands where the demons were hurling threats toward their team.

"I don't know what you mean," She replied curtly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"His scent was all over your room, Kazane, and I'm not ignorant to you both meeting at night, you've said as much yourself." Kurama's emerald eyes were flinty, and held no room for deceit or debate.

Kazane silently fumed where she stood beside him. What the fuck business was it of Kurama's if her and Hiei and a powow in the middle of the night?

"It's really none of your business, Kurama-" She began, but was cut off by his next harsh words.

"I'm acting out of the interest of a friend. Hiei keeps sparse company, and it's been proven time and time again he has an acting interest in you. I'll ask you once more: what are your intentions with Hiei?"

Kazane wanted to submerge herself in the dirt beneath them. What were her intentions with Hiei? Literally nothing; she had no idea what the fuck she was doing, in any sense of the word. Her hanging out with him in the dead of night was just the result of two night owls unable to sleep, nothing more. Hiei might've not despised her as she previously thought, but he definitely still thought half-breeds beneath him.

"I don't know, Kurama!" Kazane yelled, and she flushed as Kuwabara's head turned in her direction, his expression perplexed. "I hardly know what I'm doing," She continued, quieter. "Someone else's actions are beyond my expertise."

Kurama stilled, looking out towards the match once more. Hiei was finally turning the tide in his direction, and it wouldn't be long before an inevitable victory sounded.

A beat of silence passed before Kazane continued, the words coming from her lips before she could stop them.

"I have the same lifespan as a human, right? So it wouldn't matter anyway."

As soon as she spoke the words aloud she wanted to scream. What was she doing entertaining the ridiculous notion of her and Hiei together? There was no way their personalities would mesh well, no way either of them could ever see a potential partner in the other. Besides, Hiei had a thing with Mukuro, right? It was hinted at as far as she could remember. This was all so fucking stupid, she wanted to tear her hair out. Today was some grade-A bullshit.

There was no way Hiei actually _liked_ her.

"Your aging is different," Kurama replied, his gaze softening, and the redhead whipped her head in his direction. "You will reach a plateau, and that will continue for many years. Your lifespan will be nowhere near as long as a true demon, but much longer than a human's."

She had been banking on the optimal 100 years of human life. What did that mean? How long was the plateau? How much longer would she exist than her human friends around her?

Against her will Kazane felt a glimmer of hope in her chest, and she heartily smothered it out.

There was so much she didn't know about demons, really, especially when it came to how it factored into her life. Genkai was right when she'd said Kazane really was ignorant about demon culture. She'd have to ask Jin about this at some point; he probably knew way more than she did.

It seemed their conversation was at an impasse, and both Kurama and her settled into silence as she looked out where Hiei was battling against the demon, animalistic traits showing themselves grossly on his opponent's form. The sickly sensation of nausea bubbled in her stomach, and she swallowed thickly.

* * *

Ignoring Hiei when he was standing right beside her, especially after Kurama's question, was way more difficult than she imagined it to be.

It didn't help that it was obvious he was wounded and in pain, and she'd kind of cemented herself as the one to patch all the guys up. Her pack _was_ sitting on the grass just a foot away. Since he had exited the ring to stand with the rest of them Kazane made an effort to ignore his presence, the palpable awkwardness making her chew at her bottom lip furiously. She really wished Yusuke were here to relieve some of this tension.

God, this was fucking embarrassing.

Thankfully, the fight unfolding in front of her was interesting enough that it kept her attention.

Watching Kurama was almost as satisfying as watching Genkai fight; his hair didn't even budge out of place as he performed his graceful maneuvers.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Kuwabara's voice interrupted her thoughts, and she looked over at the boy to see worry in his eyes.

"I-I'm fine," Kazane replied, trying to give him her best smile.

"Don't tell me you're nervous?" Hiei taunted, and Kazane immediately felt irritation well up inside her.

She couldn't really ignore Hiei when he was talking right to her; that would just make everything even more weird, and then Kuwabara would really wonder what the hell was going on.

"Of course not," She responded, trying to paint a mask of confidence over her features. "Just a little eager to fight, is all."

This was literally the last thing she needed before fighting a match. Thanks, Kurama.

"This fight is really somethin', though," Kuwabara breathed, nearly gaping at the sight of their companion and Ura Urashima exchanging blows.

"Kurama needs to stop fooling around and start fighting for real," Hiei hissed.

Oh shit, that was right. The dude was telepathically communicating with the fox demon and tricking him into letting his mercy get the better of him. This whole debacle was distracting her from the events going on.

"That idiot," Kazane cursed, interrupting Hiei's monologue about Kurama's self-destructive fighting techniques.

She watched the next events with a glare, and beside her Hiei shot her a furtive glance before looking back out onto the field, Kuwabara yelling as Kurama was entwined in fishing wire.

Juri began her count, the rose whip returning to its original form, and Kazane inhaled deeply.

Everything would be fine. Everything would be _fine_.

Instead of watching the match before her, she thought about Suzuki.

If she really would be fighting him, then it wasn't the most difficult battle for her to face, just likely the most annoying. He was fast, but his muscles were all just for show. If she really used her speed and the martial arts Genkai had taught her, then she could win. There was no way it would be a walk in the park like Makintaro, but she had a decent enough chance.

She just needed to keep her shit together.

As Ura Urashima took out the Idun box and shrouded the area in lilac smoke she turned her attention once more to the ring.

It took a moment, but the oppressive feel of Yoko's spirit energy reached her body, and Kazane couldn't help herself from trembling.

"Do you feel that too?" Kuwabara asked, not looking away from the now white smoke.

"Holy shit," Kazane whispered, crossing her arms across herself.

His spirit energy was thunderous, and it was hard to even take a breath as it assaulted her senses. It was on par to when Hiei unleashed his Dragon of the Darkness Flame, except where the Dragon seemed formed of sheer, unbridled rage the energy expounding from where Kurama once stood was cold and calculated.

Kazane felt as though every breath, every movement no matter how small, could be carefully seen and analyzed.

She felt like prey under the gaze of a predator.

She had been intimidated by Kurama before, it was true. His all-too-insightful comments always seemed to keep her on edge, much as she actually liked the demon. Standing before his true form now, however, she was well and thoroughly grateful she didn't have to interact with him when he was Yoko Kurama.

Kazane felt the tremors raking her body still as an insane wave of heat washed over her, and she glanced over at Hiei, their eyes catching briefly before the fire demon turned his gaze once more to the ring, a grin on his face. His ruby eyes were glittering with mirth and anticipation.

Ignoring the conversation starting between her two teammates she watched the events unfurl, her limbs relaxing as she begrudgingly savored the warmth. She didn't need exposition on Kurama; she already knew how he came to be in his human form.

As the billowing smoke cleared Kazane finally got a good view of his true form, and once again she was startled at the difference of seeing things on a 2D screen and now in real life.

Even if she wanted to describe the sheer intensity of his golden eyes she couldn't do it justice, his gaze was razor sharp. He was taller than even Kuwabara by at least a foot, which made him so much taller than Kazane that she felt like a speck. His moonlit hair flowed gently in the wind, and hysterically, in the back of her mind Kazane lamented at how unfair it was that Kurama was prettier than her in both forms.

"Kurama really is a fox thing!" Kuwabara yelled. "Gee, and to think I let him near my kitten."

At his absurd comment Kazane laughed, half-heartedly kicking him in the shins.

Kurama returned once more to his human form, sunlight finally streaming through the menacing clouds above and illuminating the demon on the ground before him. As Juri called for their team's victory Kazane smiled softly. Yeah, Kurama in his demon form was fucking terrifying, and she definitely didn't want to face him in combat ever, but at least he was on their side.

Three victories, only two to go.

* * *

As the fangirls in the audience cheered uproariously Kazane felt as though her head would explode and take everyone in the entire vicinity with it. This Shishiwakamaru was way too arrogant, and embodied nearly everything she detested of certain guys she knew in her former life.

He looked like he could lead a boy band, if the boy band was made up entirely of demons.

Before Kuwabara angrily strode out into the ring she gripped his sleeve, clenching her jaw as he looked back towards her in surprise.

"Hey, just be careful, okay?" She began, relinquishing her grip. "They've all got some pretty weird weapons, so..."

"Don't worry about me!" Kuwabara immediately replied, sending her a wan grin. "I'll kick this sissy boy halfway 'cross the island."

As if to really send his boastful proclamation he lost his balance and fell to the dirt, and Hiei immediately offered to take his place in the match.

"No, I'll fight him," Kurama interrupted. "Onji could be unpredictable. Recover your powers for the final match."

"Kurama, it's obvious you only want to fight him so you can learn the secrets of that age-reversal. We can't afford any priorities to rank above victory. You let me fight him."

"Why are you even talkin' about it?" Kuwabara cried. "This sissy Wakamaru punk just insulted me: he's all mine!"

As the boys bickered amongst themselves Kazane felt her headache reach its threshold, and she climbed up onto the ring herself, only turning when a hand clutched at her shirt.

Hiei glared, a dark expression on his face, and she angrily called some wind to coalesce around her.

"Back off," She hissed, and Hiei returned her exposed incisors with his own set of teeth. "I'm the least wounded next to Kuwabara, and since you can't decide amongst yourselves I'm making an executive decision."

A strong gust of wind batted the three of them back, and Kazane continued her ascent onto the ring, breathing deeply in an attempt to placate herself.

So what if she was acting bitchy? She wanted this whole round done and over with. Both Hiei and Kurama were injured, and if the boys were going to argue about who had the biggest dick then she'd just take the opportunity for herself. The whole thing would have been amusing if she wasn't standing before them.

_What will this do to plot?_ her mind questioned, and she stomped the thought out immediately.

Plot was already hanging on by a thread; and although most of the fights had gone more or less to plan there wasn't any harm in speeding up the process, was there? At least she hoped not.

An amused smile crossed Shishiwakamaru's lips as she stood before him, her nimble hands twirling her fans around as she limbered up her wrists.

"Well now, I do love a decisive woman," He drawled. "Even a half-breed."

"Just do me a solid and give me an enjoyable fight," Kazane replied, letting her energy permeate outwards. It wasn't anywhere near as intimidating as Kurama's, but still. "I'm pissed off and need to vent some steam."

"My, you and the fire demon really are two sides of the same coin, aren't you?" Shishiwakamaru replied, and his words made Kazane pause momentarily before glaring at him.

She didn't need this taunting, she just wanted to let loose and pummel his face in.

"The fourth match, Shishiwakamaru versus Kazane! And begin!"

Immediately thick drafts whipped around both their figures, and Kazane bounced between her feet, the tips barely touching the concrete as she began to loosen her calf muscles and prepare herself for the ensuing battle. In retrospect, she really should have thought this through more. Fuck it.

The turbulent wind rippling across the arena was causing the thin shroud across Shishiwakamaru's shoulders to undulate, and she kept a steady eye on it, knowing what it could do. She patiently waited for him to make the first move, and she didn't have to wait for long before he darted towards her.

Kazane bat him away with her fans, the demon dodging at impressive speeds as they skirted along the arena. It didn't take more than a few minutes before he smirked, the act more of a grimace than a true smile.

"I can see my cape will be of little help to me considering your speed."

As the two darted around the arena Kazane felt a familiar sense of spirit energy, and she cast a glance over towards where Genkai was finally joining the boys, her face wrapped tight in cloth. Her energy was weakened, dimmed, and she knew that Yusuke had actually succeeded in his trials.

Her anger was mellowed out by a feeling of pride and relief.

Shishiwakamaru released his katana, aiming a blow at Kazane's neck, and she parried the attack immediately with a knife, trading her fan out for the weapon. A knife in one hand and a fan in the other; she'd just have to make do.

Once her opponent had actually withdrew his sword it was obvious that he was swift, and Kazane had to keep her entire focus on his form as she dodged and blocked his blade. It had been a while since she'd had to use more intense acrobatics, and she felt her muscles groan as she contorted in an effort to dodge the attacks Shishiwakamaru was sending her way.

Thank god she had learned from the best; Genkai was as nimble as they came.

As Kazane backwards somersaulted out of the way she felt stinging pain overwhelm her, and after she landed she looked to see deep cuts adorning the surface of her arms and thighs, cutting through the thicker fabric of her clothing.

He had used her dodge to his advantage and predicted her landing. Of course he did. Asshole.

Ignoring the blood spilling onto the concrete she readied herself, crouching low with her blades ready. In her distraction at Genkai's appearance she had forgotten that her opponent could send projectiles off of his blade. Stupid _idiot_, she needed to focus on the fight.

"I meant to go for your legs, but it seems that will have to do instead," The demon before her cackled, and Kazane clenched her jaw.

"It's been a fun game so far," He continued, withdrawing his blade further to reveal something disgusting and writhing and vaguely organ-like in the hilt. "So how about we take this up a notch?"

The organic structures formed together to make a protruding, distraught face, and Kazane stiffened.

"The Banshee Shriek, I think it's such a lovely name for a sword. It has the power to beckon lost demon souls into the ring with us." Shishiwakamaru dragged the bladed end across the concrete before twirling it in his hands. "It should be the perfect way to make myself a reputation."

The adrenaline coursing through her veins kept the pain in check, for the moment at least, and Kazane hissed out a stream of foul curses as she watched her opponent twirl the sword in the air like a baton.

She really should have thought this one through; she was banking on Suzuki, had spent the previous day planning around their fight. Then again, after Kuwabara lost spectacularly to Shishiwakamaru, Genkai would have joined the fight, right? God, she needed to get a grip. She felt as though her memory was slipping away from her, especially in the wake of melodramatic bullshit.

Shishi's expression turned feral, and Kazane inhaled sharply as she saw the tendrils of energy emanating from the sword, trying her best to block out the insane wailing issuing from the weapon. The entire crowd covered their ears at the sound, and Kazane tried her best to ignore the grating echo, keeping her eyes on her opponent as she covered her own ears, weapons still in hand.

Koto's melodious voice called across the stands, and Kazane wished she had something on her person to stuff in her ear canal. This was fucking ridiculous. Lesser demons were perishing in the stands due to his stupid attack.

She was barely able to discern whatever barbed words Shishiwakamaru threw her direction, and with a start she realized the demon's horns had actually made themselves known, the energy in the ring rising to stifling levels.

Maybe she should feel honored at having such an attack aimed in her direction. At the moment she just felt irritated as fuck.

"Let her rip!"

The sword glowed an immaculate crimson, and Kazane braced herself as Shishiwakamaru leapt into the air, aiming his weapon in her direction. She had deflected attacks with wind before; she could do that and potentially dodge. She was fast. She had to survive.

She had to.

An explosion echoed throughout the grounds, debris and dust kicked up at the impact.

More pain wracked through Kazane's body, but she was alive. Around her she could hear the screams and shouts from the spectators, as well their energy diminishing one by one. Hesitantly she reached out for her teammates, breathing a sigh of relief as Kurama and Hiei's energy met hers, Genkai's the most prominent, having encapsulated them in a barrier.

"Now that you've witnessed the most awesome display of power ever unleashed at the Dark Tournament, there should be no debate about who the greatest showman is! Such impact on the audience, they will never forget the famous Shishiwakamaru."

On shaky legs Kazane stood up, lamenting that her form wasn't intimidating in the least considering her height. Still, her energy beckoned around her, wind whipping her hair wildly where it sat in her ponytail, and she grimaced through the pain of many fresh and deep cuts. The lightheadedness of blood loss was already creeping in, and she needed to make this quick. At least he didn't nick a femoral artery.

"God, shut up," She cried, spitting a globule of blood and spit in his direction. "You have some fancy toys, so what? Face me like a man, and I'll bet I'll knock your bony ass to the ground."

Shishiwakamaru's face contorted into an expression of absolute fury, and he immediately began launching into another haunting rendition of screams.

Amidst her opponent's preparations Kazane bolstered as much energy to her legs as possible, ignoring the overwhelming amount of blood soaked into her clothing as she began skirting around Shishiwakamaru, deftly avoiding the lost souls filling up the arena.

It took everything in her power to continue amidst the wailing, and Kazan began aiming decisive cuts of wind at her opponent, darting from one edge of the ring to another, gradually increasing pace in counter-clockwise fashion and pushing her muscles to their limits. Simultaneously she began fanning less sharp gusts around his form.

Before long Shishiwakamaru was trapped in a makeshift whirlwind, razor sharp slices of wind coming out of seemingly nothing, and the demon cried out in pain before being dropped unceremoniously to the concrete, deep lacerations across his skin and previously unblemished face.

It was an attack that Kurama had aided her in perfecting, and one she didn't want to use unless she had to; as injured as she was she could only keep it up for a short amount of time Still, she could see no other win in this fight, and Kazane fought off the black that ebbed across her vision as she tried to remain upright on the stadium.

Blood loss combined with spirit energy exhaustion made her want to succumb to unconsciousness, but she couldn't, not until Juri or Koto or who the fuck ever made the final call.

As Koto counted down the seconds Shishiwakamaru was down for, Kazane coughed, blood spattering onto the ring before her as she held herself up by a dagger embedded. She really was in worse shape than she thought; the only wounds she previously registered were the deep gouges on her limbs, and even those didn't hurt as bad thanks to adrenaline. After the explosion there was no doubt there were at least some inflicted on her torso as well. More inevitable scars to add to the collection it seemed.

Her outfit was probably ruined beyond repair. The thought made her giggle, and she regretted the action as sharp pain sounded its way up her chest towards her neck. Well, fuck.

As Koto called for a Team Urameshi win Kazane fell to her knees, fighting to keep her head upright as a strong pair of arms held her up in its grasp.

"Kazane!" She briefly registered the sound of Kuwabara's panicked voice. "We need bandages! Alcohol! Yukina! Anything!"

Warmth invaded her senses, and Kazane didn't need to know who was near to her based on spirit energy alone.

"Give her to me, you fool! She's bleeding out!"

She felt another set of arms take her off the field before dressings were tightly and quickly applied to her many wounds, and she searched for a pair of ruby eyes, finally finding them in her delirium. Hiei seemed to be focused on his work, brows knit together in concentration, and the knots he wove to her dressings was far better than she could have done any day.

On her opposite side Genkai knelt next to her, glowing energy emanating from her hands as she worked to repair the more severe damage on her limbs. She didn't look at Kazane's face, but the expression she wore was tense.

Blood loss was making her woozy, and without realizing it she clutched onto Hiei's shirt, feeling forlorn as she looked over the cuts and rips exposing his own wounds.

"Did I do good?" She asked softly, tears budding, and at her words Hiei stopped his ministrations. "Did I?"

Her head was laid upon the grass, his body in close proximity as he crouched above her. If she had any rationality at all in the moment Kazane would have been thoroughly upset but as things stood she was bleeding and exhausted, and the warmth Hiei's legs exuded did little to help stay conscious. She wanted to _sleep_.

"You fought well, yes," Hiei whispered as he tightened the tourniquet on her thigh. Gently he released his shirt from her grip, placing it back over her stomach. "Rest now."

Easily Kazane gave into his words, passing out immediately as a pair of strong arms encircled around and readjusted her. The last thought she had was that Kurama would have a field day with these events.

* * *

**Note:**

**Huzzah for the longest chapter thus far! Hoping y'all are doing well during this pandemic. I haven't been laid off from work yet but if it happens (and it might) I'll just be writing even more than I already am, which is kind of mind boggling. I hope this was a welcome reprieve for a bit.**

**So much happening here, where do I even begin? Concerning Kurama's questioning, it's so hard for me to write him probing without him coming off like an asshole. If he seems way more dick-ish here it's only because he's genuinely concerned about Hiei's wellbeing. I have interaction planned in the future between him and Kazane, and it'll be much more wholesome. It's just hard at the Tournament. He's also really hard to write, ugh.**

**Hiei moments are becoming more common, as is others noticing their budding relationship. This will all come to a head very soon. Like after the Tournament soon.**

**I really hated to cut out the cute rock-paper-scissors moment between the boys, but it'll be touched on later. I've mentioned this before in previous chapters but Kazane's anger gets the better of her a lot, and sometimes it's not, uh, the best? Like it just throws previous planning out the window. This event was a culmination of her embarrassment at Kurama's probing, her uncertain feelings of the previous night, and just general irritation.**

**Also: I've been thinking about going back to each chapter and adding credits to what the song is titled after. They're all named after songs on my writing playlist for this fic, especially since some specific scenes are pretty tied to some songs. Would y'all like that? Would y'all care? Let me know, I probably should've been consistently doing that all along but oh well.**

**Every ounce of my love to Pein's number 1 Girl, AmericanNidiot, TasukiLover05, wickedlfairy17, rsaenz18, Vienna22, xenocanaan, cocobyrd87, Kirk, and Aihi8 for the reviews. This fic is at 120 follows (what the actual fuck?) and I am so, so humbled. **

**AmericanNidiot: Your comment actually made me cackle. And...yes, hahaha.**

**Kirk: ;) I may be working my way to some development on that.**

**Title credit goes to Jenny Was a Friend of Mine by The Killers.**


	16. Ballroom Floor

With bewildered surprise Kazane awoke in her bed.

No night terrors, at least blood loss had one subtle upside to it. The bed underneath her was soft and familiar. However long she was out for had probably been the most restful sleep since before the tournament started. Ironic, honestly.

To her right a pair of ruby eyes looked over her wounds, but they weren't the ones she was accustomed with. Dimmed, softer. After registering the mint hair and kimono she settled back against the pillows, breathing heavily. Slowly her heart rate calmed.

"Yukina?" She asked hesitantly, and the demoness gently pressed a hand to her forehead.

"How are you feeling?"

Better, she supposed. The adrenaline from the previous fight had all but masked her pain before she blacked out, but it didn't take a genius to know the wounds inflicted on her were severe. That was what she got for letting her anger take the reigns, she supposed.

"Fine, I guess." She experimentally flexed her arms, wincing at the feel of fresh skin. It would take a day or two before fully healing over, but at least there wouldn't be scarring left behind. The new flesh was tinged pink, but still blended seamlessly with the rest.

To her left Genkai sat, looking over Kazane as she sat in lotus, back as straight as ever. The wrappings on her face were removed, a first since heading to the island with them.

"I don't believe we've been properly introduced," Yukina spoke, bowing lowly at the waist. "I'm Yukina, an ice apparition, and I'm here looking for my brother. It's very nice to meet you."

It took an inordinately long time before Kazane responded, doing her best to bow from her place on the bed. Yukina was earth-shatteringly cute, and it took everything in the redhead's power to not scoop her up in her arms and hug her. Be still her heart, why did she feel the need to take everyone under her wing?

"I'm Kazane. Thanks for healing me, I guess I was in pretty rough shape." She frowned as she looked into the wastebasket in the room, noting the bloodstained bandages inside.

"Rough is an understatement," Genkai remarked, a smirk on her face. "Why don't you step out there and see for yourself."

What?

Wincing at the movement, Kazane shamelessly shrugged a different shirt over her head and sent an imploring look at Genkai, who merely responded by standing up and heading to where Yusuke's room was.

At least she could walk, not that Shishiwakamaru's attacks had prevented her from doing that in the ring. Things really could've ended up worse, in all honesty. She could be dead. Again. Padding her way across the plush carpet she caught several voices talking at once, two in particular louder than others.

As she entered the area she halted in her tracks. Nearest to the doorway Jin and Hiei stood head to head, Kuwabara glaring not far behind. Kurama simply stood between the congregation, trying to mediate. The atmosphere in the room was stifling.

"She did that of her own accord, you fool. You really think we would have willingly sent her to get mauled during the fight?"

"She's my sister, and she nearly died on that field!"

Kuwabara was the first one to notice Kazane's presence, and immediately a relieved grin spread on his face. Within seconds he crossed the room where she stood, enveloping her in a bear hug even as the redhead hissed out curses. The pressure on her freshly-healed wounds was uncomfortable, to say the least.

"You're awake! I was worried you'd be a goner, or worse, stuck in some coma forever."

Kazane let out a chuckle at his words. "Nah, Genkai and Yukina are angels. I'm fine, promise."

At the mention of Yukina's name Kuwabara immediately flushed. "Isn't she the best? The prettiest girl in the whole world, and when she touches you it feels like one of those cooling packs you get at the supermarket."

From behind where he stood Hiei looked thoroughly irritated, Jin looking over her with relief evident in his features. Kazane frowned as Hiei withdrew from the congregation, exiting through the front door without so much as a glance in her direction, just a slam.

"God, Kaz, shame on you fer pullin' a stunt like that! I thought ye were dead." Jin's tone was one of an angry parent's, and Kazane waved a hand at his chastising. He strode closer to her, patting her gently on the head.

"Jeez, you sound like Yusuke. I'm here, I'm fine. Who faced off against Onji?"

Kuwabara puffed up his chest, a proud grin on his face. "I did. Beat that clown to a pulp, too."

Woah, what?

"Kazuma was incredible," Yukina added in, a demure smile peeking through her lips. "He seemed so angry about your fight. He won a game of janken for it."

"Yeah, he wasn't even an old man, either! Just some blondie in disguise."

Kazane did a double take, grinning. "Wait, what? You three decided who'd fight him based off rock-paper-scissors?"

"Yeah!" Kuwabara roared. "You're looking at the Janken Master here! Though Hiei was pretty scary; thought the shortie was gonna stab me when I won."

So Kuwabara fought Suzuki, and Genkai and Yukina healed her after her fight. Kazane remembered the dressings in the other room, frowning as she recalled how Hiei had bound them securely and meticulously. Now he was gone and she couldn't even thank him, or whatever else.

Maybe it was good he wasn't here. She didn't know how she could look him in the eyes after the climax of that match. She had acted like a fucking idiot, after all. Ugh.

Kazane hummed to herself as she went into the kitchen, pouring a cup of coffee and leaning against the counter. In the living room she watched as Jin and Kuwabara teased each other lightly, Jin making an effort to ruin the pompadour on his head with a surefire gust of wind. At least those two were finally starting to get along.

"I'm glad to see you're awake."

Kurama had seemingly materialized to her right, and she nodded.

"I suppose it was a dumb move, but still. You guys were acting childish, and I was irritated."

"Something that was a result of my prodding, no doubt," Kurama admitted, his gaze shifting to the floor. "I apologize. That was neither the time nor the place for such questions."

"No," Kazane lamented. "You were doing what you thought was right, and I can't fault you for that. How's Yusuke?"

Kurama hesitated before replying. "He's been unconscious since Keiko found him. He's sleeping peacefully in his room."

"Good," Kazane responded, downing the rest of the coffee and heading towards the room Genkai had disappeared through moments before.

She wanted to know why Hiei just up and disappeared without a word, and she definitely wanted to know why he and Jin looked ready to throttle each other. She'd have to ask her brother later. At least the coffee would wake her up a bit; she still felt slightly shaky and pretty famished, but her nerves were making her stomach roil uncomfortably. Some looming anxiety still seemed to hover in the air.

Yusuke was sprawled across the sheets, his breaths deep and even. Kazane looked over the fresher wounds on his knuckles and frowned. His whole body seemed to be recovering from intense pain, and she wanted desperately to grab a wash cloth and wipe away the blood and dirt still caked on his skin. At least she didn't have to wash the sheets here.

"He's stronger than I thought," Genkai spoke quietly, her back seated against the wall.

Her guardian looked older than she'd ever seen, looking over Yusuke's unconscious form with distant eyes. Something twinged in her gut, and Kazane bit her lip.

There was something she was missing, something big. Either she had unconsciously repressed it, or she just plain couldn't remember, but after noticing the way she was looking over Yusuke's figure, grief in her eyes, Kazane wracked her brain.

She had passed the orb onto Yusuke, and was considerably weakened. Yusuke was her protege, and she had been planning on passing nearly everything to him. All of her techniques, all of her power. And now she was back at the Tournament after fifty years, facing off against her previous teammate. Kazane had felt the committee members' energy when they showed up months ago, though she was attempting to sleep.

No.

No no no. No fucking way. How could she be so stupid?

Kazane quickly crossed the space between Genkai and her, kneeling even as her thighs screamed in protest at the action. She pressed a hand to her guardian's knee.

"You can't be serious."

It took barely a second for Genkai to understand what she was talking about, and her brown eyes looked away.

"You expect me to go back to the temple without you?" Kazane began, panic engulfing her. "You expect me to live there without you? What the fuck am I supposed to do?"

Genkai's jaw clenched, and she met the redhead's cerulean eyes. "I expect you to live. I expect you to watch over those boys. I _expect_ you to act as one of my students should."

Kazane had barely regained consciousness less than an hour ago, and now she was dealing with this bullshit. This was so unfair, so phenomenally fucked. She was barely even awake. It was a wonder she was forming coherent sentences with one cup of coffee.

Genkai had always been there, from the very beginning. The only one worthy of the title of guardian in both of her lifetimes.

Against her better wishes her voice broke as she whispered. "What am I going to do without you?"

Genkai smiled softly, pressing a calloused hand against Kazane's cheek and holding it gently. There was warmth in her eyes, some sort of regret, some sort of pride. It all intermingled, tears running down the redhead's cheeks, over Genkai's gnarled hands. This wasn't right, this wasn't how things were supposed to be.

Genkai was supposed to call Yusuke a dimwit, and Kazane a neurotic idiot. She was supposed to chastise both of them for their short-sighted decisions, smack them over the head. She was supposed to be a home for the both of them.

"You're the one gifted with knowledge of the future. You tell me."

It felt like there was a rock in her throat, and Kazane tried to swallow past it. The response came surprisingly easy for how long she had bottled up her secrets. "I can't...not when it comes to me."

There was a second of silence before Genkai's eyes widened imperceptibly, and she huffed, an amused grin spreading across her face as she returned to full height. She looked over once more at Yusuke, her expression soft, and then down again at where Kazane knelt on the carpet.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out. I doubt they'll let you wallow for long, and _that_ dimwit for that matter." She jerked a thumb back at Yusuke. "Keep an eye on him for me."

Gently opening the door Genkai hesitated before heading through it, staring ahead at the hallway before her.

"You did a good job keeping an old crone from becoming lonely all these years."

With that she disappeared, the door closing shut with a faint click, and Kazane sat in silence, staring at the space Genkai had been seconds before.

This was canon. This was going to happen regardless.

So why couldn't she remember something as important as this until now?

And why did she feel like her world was crumbling?

Taking measured breaths Kazane wiped away the tears from her face, trying to still the shaking in her limbs. She needed to collect herself, needed to keep it together. If not for herself then for everyone else.

Stealing one more glance at Yusuke asleep on the bed she marched across the carpet and opened one of the windows in the room, taking a deep breath before gently floating from the opening. She needed to get out of here.

The sky was once again clear, an immaculate blue, and she hated it. This pleasant weather wasn't meant for what was happening. Even with the crisp air filling her lungs it felt like Kazane was suffocating, and she softly descended to the grass, her body heading towards a spot seemingly of its own accord.

She eyed the jagged rocks before withdrawing her fans and aiming sharp gusts of wind at the foliage around her, sending the trees to the ground between yells. She needed to keep her hands busy, to do something, anything not to focus on the events transpiring. It wasn't the same as the cliffside Hiei frequented, but it didn't seem unfamiliar. With a start she realized it wasn't far from where Jin and her had talked the other day.

It took ten minutes of destroying her surroundings before a voice called out, and with a start Kazane realized what a stupid move this was; anyone could have approached to take her out. She didn't even feel the spirit energy around her, too focused on a specific one, and she was making an awful lot of noise.

"Kaz!"

Jin stood between two disfigured trees, his matching red hair shining bright under the sun, and Kazane stilled.

As she sheathed her fans Jin broke the distance between them, his brows knit with worry, and he stood before her with a frown on his face.

"I felt ye leave, what's the matter?"

Kazane swallowed thickly. "Everything's fine. I just wanted to come out here and let off some frustration. It's fine."

It felt _so_ wrong to lie to Jin, and she could tell that her words were falling on deaf ears. Jin's frown deepened, and he placed a hand on Kazane's shoulder.

What could she say? She had made an oversight; her memory had failed her, and something was going to happen with an outcome she couldn't remember. All because she had spent so long in a new world, in a new life, trying to do good despite the result of her actions. She should have done better, really wracked her brain when she came to the temple. She had memorized the words penned in her notebooks, but what good were they if they already omitted serious details?

The Ichigaki team was her most laudable offense. All of them would have lived had it not been for her involvement.

Maybe she really should have stayed at the temple. Maybe she shouldn't be here at all.

"What's happenin'?" Jin asked softly, and she finally glanced up towards him.

The sheer amount of concern in his eyes was all it took for Kazane to break, and she bit her lip as the tears spilled over her cheeks. God, she hated it, didn't want Jin seeing her like this, but he had been the one to seek her out.

"She's being stupid," She choked out. "What good is this going to accomplish? A five-decade-old feud, and she decides to kick the can? What the fuck?"

Her shoulders shook, and despite Jin's bewildered expression he wrapped his arms around her.

"K-Kaz, what...?"

She had been so stupid to forget such an important event so early in canon. She breathed in Jin's familiar scent, trying to ground herself, trying to find something to latch onto.

It was something Genkai needed to do, she reminded herself. Something important enough to tear her away from her apprentice and surrogate daughter (granddaughter?). Genkai wasn't stupid; she knew the consequences, she knew what would happen.

Why else would she say those things?

And even if Kazane tried to intervene, as much as she wanted to, Genkai wouldn't have wanted that. There was a reason she had said her farewell in the hotel. Not to mention she was a flea compared to Toguro; only Yusuke could defeat him.

Her sense of spirit energy had always been shit, but she was good at getting a read on those familiar to her if she focused, even from a decent enough distance. Well, unless she was distracted enough. She turned her gaze out in the direction of the vast forest before her.

Genkai's energy reflected her personality; rough around the edges but with a comforting warmth to it. Something akin to an ember, or a phoenix egg, or some other metaphor equally as stupid. It was always there, save for the jaunt in Maze Castle. She had known it most of this life.

As the familiar signature was smothered Kazane felt her knees give out under her. It was as if her body refused to support her, and Jin dutifully caught her in his arms as she staggered to the ground.

Bile rose up Kazane's throat, and out of her peripheral she saw Jin turn away politely as she retched up coffee and sick onto the grass, the act stinging the back of her throat harshly. He rubbed soft circles onto her back, looking absolutely lost about what to do.

"She's gone," She whispered, ignoring the acrid taste of vomit in her mouth as she stared unfocused at the grass. "She's gone...gone..."

"I'm...I'm sorry, Kaz."

* * *

The two had spent nearly forty-five minutes in silence, Kazane saying nothing but staring out towards the water, her eyes unfocused. Beside her Jin fidgeted, clearly uncomfortable with the way she was acting, but it was something he had seen before, albeit briefly.

"Yer not the same as when I found ye, Kaz," He began softly, continuing as she stared still. "Yer strong now, topplin' a few guys here like they're nothin'."

He had seen the previous fights, his attention caught by her either standing on the outskirts of the ring or her impressive speed during her own matches. Even from afar he was filled with pride, seeing her use moves he hadn't thought of or implemented.

"It's more than I could've hoped fer, seein' ye now." He braced his arms behind him as he leaned. "And I'm guessin' that I owe that old lass more than I could ever repay."

His words caused some sort of reaction in Kazane, for she finally turned to face him, her eyes misted over. He didn't know much about her team, save for Urameshi and the two full demons. The greaser was a kindred spirit, fighting with his all even after the two had exchanged words. Kurama and Hiei, however, he watched with a guarded eye. Their reputations weren't for nothing, after all. He was more than surprised to see them in the lineup.

Jin had felt some spirit energy extinguished the same time Kazane had collapsed, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that was what had set her off. Going off what she said and words in the hotel room he connected some dots; Genkai back at the tournament after fifty years, a legend. How could he have possibly known she would come into contact with her?

Kazane gently rested her head on Jin's shoulder, and he wrapped a burly arm around her figure even as tears trailed from where she lay down his skin. Once more silence blanketed over both of them, and as the sun dipped further towards the horizon Jin wished he knew what to say to make her feel better. He hadn't seen her in years, though.

Jin was reluctant to let her go, but after saying that she needed to go find Yusuke he gave her shoulder one final squeeze before eventually departing.

The walk through the forest would probably do Kazane some good, anyway. Not like she could really think about much else, though. Memories of her time spent at the temple kept flowing through her brain like a film reel, further cementing the grief inside her. Even with her brother at her side she still lamented over it. Still, he had sat there with her for nearly an hour, even dealing with her vomiting in front of him, truly nicer than she deserved.

As Yusuke's yellow shirt came into sight Kazane picked up the pace until she was right next to him. She seated herself on the grass, glancing his way before mirroring his stare into the darkness of the cave.

"I thought you quit," Yusuke said monotonously as she lit a cigarette.

"Me too. Fuck it."

He simply grunted in response.

Trying to find something to say seemed forced, and she didn't know what would make him feel better. Still, she was always terrible at keeping quiet. Taking deep drags on the cancer stick she found that the smell of tobacco reminded her again of Genkai, once a comforting thing now just sad.

"You remember that time you passed out from training, and Genkai just left you out on the grounds the rest of the evening? She wouldn't even let me carry you inside, said some bullshit like 'that's what he gets'. You must've had about fifty mosquito bites."

Yusuke's lips twitched upwards, his expression softening for a moment, but he didn't respond.

"And then there was that time she smacked you upside the head for pissing so close to the flowers by the pond."

His smile grew slightly. "Or when you broke one of her fancy plates and she sparred with you 'til you could barely walk."

Wincing slightly at the memory Kazane grinned. "Or that time you convinced me to hide her hat on her as a prank."

Yusuke rolled his eyes in exasperation. "How was I supposed to know she had more of those stupid things?"

Kazane exhaled, directing the smoke away from him. She hesitated a moment before continuing; better to preface the heavy shit with lighter things first.

"I was told once that grief is like being stuck at sea. You're drowning, with wreckage all around you. At first, the waves are a hundred feet tall and crash over you without any mercy. They come ten seconds apart and don't give you time to catch your breath, all you can do is hang on and float."

She continued despite Yusuke clenching his fists beside her.

"After awhile, maybe weeks or months, the waves are still a hundred feet tall but they come further apart. When they come, they still crash all over you and wipe you out. But in between, you can breathe. You can function. You'll never know when it's coming, but in between the waves there's life."

She needed this, too. This reminder that life would go on, and that maybe things wouldn't be so fucking miserable. For once her word-vomit habit was good for something.

"Somewhere down the line you'll find the waves are only eighty feet tall, or fifty feet tall. And even though they still come, they come further apart. You can see it coming sometimes. And when it washes over you, you know that you will, again, come out the other side. Soaking wet, a fucking mess, still hanging on to some tiny piece of wreckage. But you'll come out."

Beside her Yusuke sputtered, and as he furiously wiped at his eyes Kazane wrapped an arm around him, letting his head rest on her shoulder. A mirror of her time with Jin, she'd have to thank him later.

"Dumb metaphor," He choked out quietly, and Kazane smiled as tears welled in the corners of her own eyes.

"Well, I didn't come up with it, so whatever."

She stubbed out her cigarette before beginning to hum softly, the wind breezing past them. Not gently, but not whipping furiously. At least she had chosen a fitting song.

Her chest was still painfully tight, and her limbs felt like ten-ton weights, but having her favorite brat next to her made everything a little less unbearable. His words on the balcony came back to her, and she smiled sadly.

_That's family, right?_

And yeah, Genkai made up a pivotal piece of their strange family unit, but even with her absence she would still have Yusuke, and he would have her. Maybe grief was making her corny as hell, but it was true. If she was stuck surviving in this batshit reality then she'd do more than just survive; she'd make sure the ones close to her really lived. She'd do what Genkai had expected.

She turned her head as a shadow approached, craning her neck to catch the sight of a tall figure in primary colors.

"Koenma."

The prince frowned. "And here I was hoping to catch you both off guard. I always surprise Yusuke."

An awkward silence formed as Kazane glanced between the two, withdrawing her arm from Yusuke's now-tensed shoulders. The boy still didn't turn to face Koenma. Standing upright she bade Yusuke goodbye before departing off into the woods, feeling uncomfortable in the wake of whatever Koenma wanted to say to him.

She supposed now she'd head to the hotel again. Her head wasn't in the right place to train, and staying out on the grounds by herself wasn't ideal when she was so distracted. Who knew when a demon would make their move in the shadows at her? The hotel bar was empty, and she still had beers in the room if it came to it.

A pair of voices caught her attention from a ways off, and she turned in the direction of them. She blinked in surprise upon seeing familiar heads of ruby and ginger hair, and as Kazane entered the clearing both boys looked up from the items in their hands, eyes widening.

"Kazane! Oh man, am I glad to see you!" Kuwabara cried, a relieved smile on his face. "Hey, you haven't seen Urameshi around here, have you? I think he's hidin' from me."

Kurama and her exchanged a brief glance before she responded. "Yeah, I was just with him. I really don't think you should go bug him right now, though."

"What? Why the heck not?!"

Kazane hesitated, this time giving Kurama a look. "You didn't tell him?"

His mask was as still as porcelain, but she could see a glimmer of sadness and regret in his emerald eyes. "I didn't think it was my place to do so. Apologies."

Kuwabara looked between the two, confusion plain on his face, and Kazane sighed deeply. She tried to steel herself as she bit her lip, looking off towards the trees instead of the boy before her. Voicing it aloud felt like finalizing what had happened, and it was harder than she imagined.

"Kuwabara, Genkai's...she's gone."

"What d'ya mean she's gone? Where'd she go? She's supposed to be our ba-"

"She's dead," Kazane replied bluntly, the words coming out more harsh than intended, and she winced internally as Kuwabara's face fell. "Toguro..." She cleared her throat. "She's gone."

Kurama simply closed his eyes as the ginger next to him grappled with the news, and Kazane stood in awkward silence as she swallowed past the lump in her throat.

"She was so strong, though," Kuwabara whispered.

"It happens," Kazane responded, closing her eyes in exasperation immediately. Her words sounded stupid as hell. "And, y'know, now it's up to Yusuke."

The boy looked up at her with something like determination in his own. There was also grief there, but concern, too.

"I know she meant a lot to you and Urameshi. Hell, she meant somethin' to me, too. We're gonna avenge her, Kazane, I promise."

She gaped, uncertain at what to say, and Kurama gave her a small smile. "Yes, I'm afraid letting Toguro go unpunished is out of the question."

No way was Kazane going to cry again. Nope. She blinked rapidly in an attempt to stem the tears, giving both boys an appreciative grin.

"Thanks. Um...you two are going to hangout here for a while right? And train? Can I just...sit over there and watch?" She motioned towards the closest tree. "Not really in the mood to join in."

"Of course."

"Yeah! You always give me really good tips on improving my dodges!"

Kazane preferred this to heading back to the hotel. Isolating herself probably wasn't the best move right now, and Kuwabara and Kurama could distract her for a little bit from her thoughts. Her coping methods when dealing with anything negative had always been self-destructive, to say the least. Even now the urge to head to the hotel's bar and get absolutely trashed was strong.

There was still a match to go, and she had made a promise to herself before leaving the temple. Getting shitfaced wouldn't help with that.

_Protect her boys._

As the evening slowly kicked in and the sky darkened, Kazane looked up at the insane, light blue energy that darted towards the stars from where she had been a few hours ago. It was like a shooting star made entirely out of Yusuke's spirit energy, and she smiled as the two in front of her looked in awe.

She could've gotten tossed anywhere, could've ended up thousands of miles away after exiting the Demon world portal.

She really was lucky.

* * *

The boys had been absent from the hotel for most of the night and early morning, and as much as she simultaneously wanted and didn't want company, Kazane was thankful she could lounge around in the bathroom as much as she needed without an earful. She had barely gotten any sleep, and was sure it showed.

The methodical movements of shaving, working heaps of conditioner in her hair, and making sure she didn't look as bad as she felt helped to ground her. Maybe this was her zen technique? She had never really been able to get the hang of meditating like Genkai wanted. She always ended up just lightly dozing.

Her appetite wasn't there, but she needed to do something, so she began her usual routine in the kitchen as the boys came out into the living room area. Kurama was the first to appear, and Kazane handed him a cup of coffee. His whole demeanor was more stiff than usual, which was saying something.

"It'll be fine, y'know. We're gonna win and after this we can all go home," She said, quietly answering his unspoken question.

Kurama chuckled, taking the cup gently in his hands and giving her a smirk. "Shame you can read me so well," He teased, parroting her words back to her.

She flushed, lightly rolling her eyes as she began placing food on the table.

They all needed to eat something, but for the most part everyone just seemed to pick at the omelets unenthusiastically. It was probably too heavy, she should've gone with something like fruit. Maybe crepes.

Kazane's own meager appetite vanished as she looked across the table and realized that she had set a plate where Genkai usually sat out of habit. The boys either didn't notice or were just ignoring it.

"Well, we should probably get a move on, huh?" She called awkwardly, whisking the plates away at breakneck speed.

At least once she got to the arena there would be more distressing things to occupy her thoughts.

She had expected the walk there to be quiet, but the second all of them stepped out into the sunlight Yusuke clenched one fist in the other, sending a look Kazane's way.

"It's time to kick some ass."

Kuwabara yelled in reciprocation, Kurama merely nodding, and even Hiei was sporting a smirk. Kazane hesitated a second before giving Yusuke a grin.

"Well, let's get to it, then."

As they closed the distance between the hotel and the uglier arena the sunlight ahead gave way to clouds, growing thicker and more menacing with each step. Maybe the committee controlled the weather on this part of the island? Would make sense why thunder and lightning were being cast in one specific location.

Everyone would be watching in the stands; Jin, Toya, all the girls. Hopefully everything would be fine. There was no way now their team wouldn't win, it would just be a pain in the ass of the highest degree.

The five of them congregated in the massive hallway some feet away from the entrance doors, and Kazane began slipping into her stretches out of sheer anxiety. Something to do, anyway, and she wanted to be as limber and fluid as possible.

"One question," Kurama spoke, his focus on Yusuke. "Has a backup substitute been arranged for Genkai?"

Despite the brave face he was putting on for everyone, it was made clear to Kazane that he was having as rough of a time as her keeping his grief in check. Yusuke's arms were crossed, and he minutely tightened his grip before responding.

"I did, but the little twerp should've been here by now."

Memories came up to the surface and Kazane sighed. "You can't be serious, he's a politician not a fighter."

"Didn't have much of a choice, alright?" Yusuke harshly responded.

"Hey, wha-"

Kuwabara's questioning was cut off by the hallway they were in beginning to shake, bits of rubble raining down from the top. Outside Kazane could faintly hear Juri's calls for everything to begin, and she inhaled sharply.

"On my left, Team Urameshi!"

This was the last time she'd have to walk out onto the grounds, the last time she'd have to hear the chanting of demons in the stands against her team. They had been here, what? A month? Her sense of time was really fucked. It was Spring, right? Yusuke and Kuwabara were on Spring Break. At least, she hoped they were. No way Keiko would have let Yusuke skip out on school for a month or two, let alone come here herself if that was the case.

Thinking back on how warm Keiko's eyes had been when asking Kazane to keep it quiet that she was there, though, yeah. She would've come anyway.

With a start she realized that she had spent almost two months straight in her team's company. A thought crept up, unbidden: what would she do after this when they all returned to their own lives?

Putting her best stoic face on and stamping down the distressing thoughts Kazane marched out onto the field single-file with the boys, taking place behind Yusuke but in front of Kuwabara.

"_Kill them! Kill them! Kill them!"_

"I'd really like to show every one of these jerk faces a thing or two about mindin' their manners," Kuwabara grumbled, glaring at the stands. Kazane softly huffed in agreement.

"Please put your hands together for everyone's favorite, Team Toguro!"

It took a moment after the opposing door had opened for the Toguro brothers to make their way out from the darkness, and the second they did Kazane felt the energy coming off of them in waves. It was enough to make her glad she hadn't eaten much at breakfast. Trying to still the slight tremble in her limbs she cast a glance over to where Yusuke was glaring, fury in his eyes.

Bui and Karasu entered next, and out of her peripheral she saw Kurama tense.

Goddamn, this whole round was going to suck ass.

* * *

**Note:**

**This chapter was...hard to write. The words Kazane tells Yusuke are words a friend told me after experiencing a debilitating loss, so I felt it fitting to put here.**

**It's really hard to write chapters like this in the show without the shonen-esque way of: heavy moment, alright let's get back to the action! Hope I did this justice.**

**It's _also_ really hard to write fights from the Tournament arc because most YYH fans have seen them, so I hate writing them unless something different has happened. Just feels repetitive. Bleh.**

**A mountain of love to FLStar, rsaenz18, AmericanNidiot, Vienna22, Mediocre Dunces, Takuta, Aihi8, cocobyrd78, and lisaisfire619 for the reviews. Y'all are too kind to little old me.**

**Chapter title credit goes to Ballroom Floor by Oberhofer.**


	17. Coppertone

Despite what he knew the others thought, Hiei wasn't ignorant to the way grief was shaping his more human teammates.

The detective was completely consumed by it, as well as rage. His answers were more clipped, lacking the humor and teasing remarks Hiei had grown accustomed to. His relatively jovial demeanor was gone.

The oaf seemed absolutely lost about what to do, no doubt he could tell that words wouldn't help in alleviating the gloom over his two friends.

Kurama seemed in the same boat as Hiei; not unaffected but not terribly distraught over it. If anything they both were lamenting the loss of a legendary fighter that had struck even them with some type of fear.

And then there was Kazane.

It wasn't hard to see the toll it was taking on her. Physically, the light usually behind her cerulean eyes was dimmed, crescents of violet below them only obscured by thick lashes when closed. The effects of her lack of sleep had always been there before, but never as prominent. Before he had gone to see the crater Toguro left behind he had watched on the sidelines, his spirit energy muffled perfectly as he saw her drop to her knees at the loss. He had checked in from afar periodically, using his Jagan to watch as she comforted the detective, and later as she sobbed alone in the hotel. It had been distracting to his training, and he was irritated every time the urge to watch her came up.

The effort she put into their breakfast was halfhearted. There was no humming in between lull of conversation. Even her sarcastic remarks were forced.

He had never been adept at consoling others. Death was a part of life, and all fighters would meet their end eventually. The last time he had challenged her to a spar it didn't have a positive response.

And of course, Jin.

Her brother was a nuisance; wrapped up so tight with worry for Kazane he seemed to have thrown logic out the window. How could any of them have known she would be mercilessly beat down in the last round, despite coming out victorious? In what realm would they have sent her out onto the field instead of them willingly, when he himself was more than determined to fight every apparition available? She was more than capable of holding her own, though he begrudgingly admit it. She had been distracted.

And who on Earth would be foolish enough to threaten Hiei himself?

It was obvious Kazane was ignoring him, but he didn't know whether it was due to similar words Jin had told him, or something else. Even before Genkai's death she began to avoid him.

Immediately he thought of Yukina. He couldn't intimidate the oaf into staying away from her without giving away their relation. And if Hiei really thought about it, Kuwabara didn't have a malicious bone in his body. His sister could have worse suitors. If he were able, would he act the same way Jin was?

Glancing over at where Kazane was clenching her jaw, Hiei thought that he had never really been one to do as others told him, anyway.

* * *

Kazane was so used to seeing Koenma in his older form she had to remember that the more handsome version of him was actually just an illusion, a big-headed toddler buried underneath. Why were most of the demons or spiritual beings around her so goddamn good looking? Even if it was just a facade? Her vanity had been wounded for months.

Still, it wasn't the worst sight in the world, and it proved her recollections had been right. At least with her appearance here the Urameshi team wouldn't have been disqualified anyway, but it was kind of fitting for both team's owners to step out onto the field for the last match.

After listening to him quip about the dry ice used to make the smoke billowing from the door she rolled her eyes. A prince and a drama queen.

"So what kept you, a diaper change?" Yusuke yelled, and immediately the image of Koenma before Kazane was...tainted.

"Look Yusuke, you can cool it with the wisecracks. I don't have to be here, you know." Koenma glanced over at Kazane. "You already have four fighters."

"So why the hell did you come here then?"

With a melodramatic flourish of his cape thing Koenma continued. "Genkai was a friend and Toguro is a jerk. I agreed to being your backup if need be, but until then you can count me in as moral support."

Before Yusuke or Kuwabara could let out a sharp retort Kazane took a step forward. She needed to get everyone to chill out or else this round would never start.

"Thanks Koenma. I know fighting isn't your strong suit. If anything Genkai would probably get a kick out of you being down here."

To her surprise Koenma started babbling as he rubbed the back of his neck. "O-Of course! It's my duty as Team Urameshi's owner, and what kind of person would I be if I didn't make an appearance?"

Yusuke began cracking his neck and knuckles in irritation. "Alright, well let's go already then."

"Wait a second!" Juri called. "You can't just switch; the rules say that a new player may only be brought in if an original fighter is dead."

The look on Yusuke's face could level mountains. He was glaring at Juri with one of the most annoyed expressions Kazane had ever seen, and she swiftly stepped forward, placing a hand on his shoulder. Not that she thought he would just wail on a woman unprovoked, but she didn't want to further increase his anger.

"Our backup is dead," She shakily answered, clenching her fists. "Due to out of the ring events." She could feel the blood pooling up where her nails were embedded in her palm.

"Their team will never get to a fifth match, so it won't be necessary for Junior to fight once they all perish," Karasu added, and Kazane leveled him with a glare. "We all know he's just here to take up some space."

Immediately Koenma stepped forward. "Anytime, mask boy!"

This was the weirdest juxtaposition Kazane had ever found herself in; the most life-threatening round she had yet to see and yet also filled with an element of comedic relief? She was getting whiplash. This whole situation felt like a fever dream.

Then again, banter had a way of keeping things grounded in reality, even when it was ridiculous.

As Koto called throughout the stands and elicited more cheering, Kazane looked over her teammates, noting their tense expressions. As her eyes passed over Hiei she stilled. His own eyes were boring into hers, and the look on his face was unreadable, not that she had been any good at figuring out what he was thinking in any case.

Turning away for her own sanity she looked at the ring, where Karasu was making his way towards the center. She watched as he pressed a finger to his temple, a soft 'bang' echoing from his lips as he stared down Kurama.

"Ugh, look at him tryin' to scare us with his dumb finger," Kuwabara yelled. "Man, I'm gonna beat him until his mother doesn't recognize him!"

"No," Kurama called softly, predictably. "I will handle him."

Kazane had never seen Kurama so focused, so serious. Even during their training there was still a small part of him that she could tell enjoyed everyone's company. Now it was like she was seeing a glimpse of the Yoko Kurama in him, in the way his emerald gaze was razor sharp.

As Juri announced the match Kazane found that without Kurama standing near to her she was now directly next to Hiei, and she grit her teeth.

Well, if she had to focus her attention on something else then she'd do it. For as creepy as Karasu was he did have immaculate hair, not a split end in sight. She wondered what shampoo he used. Not that he would be alive after this match, and even if he was Kazane was sure if she asked him such a dumb question she'd be dead before she could finish talking.

Out of the stands she heard a feminine voice call loud above the others, and she looked up to see Keiko standing at full height, launching scathing words at Kurama's opponent.

God, if she made it through this then she really needed to try and get closer to the girl. Even as simply human Keiko was not a force to be messed with.

"Dammit, if they start a riot in the stands I'm not gonna be the one that saves them," Yusuke groaned.

"You've gotten backhanded by Keiko how many times?" Kazane teased. "I think they'll be good." Immediately Yusuke recoiled at the memory.

"Both players take their opening pose, and begin!"

Keeping her anxiety in check as she watched the fight commence was harder than she originally thought. She knew Team Urameshi would be victorious, knew that this round was in the bag, and still. The urge to fidget or shuffle around the outskirts of the arena was strong, and it seemed Kuwabara noticed. He took place next to Kazane.

"Hey, you good?"

She gave a small nod, not taking her eyes off of Kurama. "This is really happening. The last round, and then we'll be done."

"Yeah we've been here for a while," Kuwabara relented. "It's gonna feel nice beating these jerks and heading back home."

Kazane watched as Karasu deftly exploded the rose petals that Kurama had spread out seconds earlier, not even touching them with his hands, and she began to chew on her bottom lip in earnest. The sweet smell of flowers turned acrid as the smoke wafted over towards her.

The fight proceeded much the way she could remember; Karasu chasing Kurama around and essentially tormenting him for the beginning of the match, Yoko Kurama appearing in a cloud of white smoke, and Karasu finally drawing enough power in to turn his hair from black to blonde. Once again the force of Yoko Kurama's energy made her tremble slightly, and coupled with Karasu's intense energy made her stomach uneasy.

In Kazane's half-hearted, somewhat hysterical opinion she really thought the blonde didn't suit him.

As he sucked in air or energy or whatever through his mouth Hiei spoke, and Kazane jumped at the sound. She had forgotten he was standing beside her.

"It's an explicit sign that he's internalizing his power, which means the bombs he created are now inside of him, virtually making him one giant explosive."

"Are you serious?" Yusuke yelled, looking at Hiei dumbfounded.

"Of course I am. If my assumption is correct, he's about to detonate. If you're wise, you'll take cover now."

At his last statement he glanced over at Kazane, almost too quickly for her to catch, and nearly all the boys around her protested at the idea of an explosion ricocheting over them.

A thought came to mind as she watched Karasu bolt towards Kurama; she truly had no idea how to make a protective barrier of her own energy. She could have sworn Genkai touched on the topic, but it was brief, and she'd never really taken it to heart or implemented it; her first instinct had always been to use her wind abilities. A really stupid move, in all honesty, especially now. She had to do something, anything. Wind-

Light radiated from the ring, and within seconds the sheer force of the blast blew the team back close to the wall of the audience. Amidst the chaos Kazane felt a hand grip her own, roughly pulling her up away from the ground. As her eyes adjusted from the intense light and smoke she looked down to see Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Koenma all buried under rock and making their way to their feet, and she realized that she was standing shakily on the lip of the spectators area alongside Hiei.

She glanced down at her hand, the only sign of Hiei's actions being a warmth around her digits, and then back up at him, eyes wide.

The words of thanks died in her throat, and as Yusuke called out to everyone she descended onto the now-torn grass feeling well and truly embarrassed about the whole debacle, a flush rising to her face.

Sure, it was nice of Hiei to make sure she wasn't buried under mountains of dirt, but she kind of had an idea of how to protect herself. She had been thinking of creating a whirlwind around her to repel everything, she just hadn't acted quick enough. She would've been fine. Maybe.

Yusuke looked between Kazane and Hiei before turning his attention back to where Kurama should've been, nearly everything still obscured by the dissipating smoke.

As Karasu stood alone in the ring chuckling to himself Kazane inhaled sharply, her panic only abated after movement came from the grass on the other side, Kurama climbing his way out of the rocks nestled around him. He was back in his human form, blood pooling from the many wounds he had gotten before transforming.

"Wha- I don't get it!" Kuwabara cried. "He said that stuff's supposed to last fifteen minutes! That's it, the next time I see Suzuki, I'm moppin' up the floor with his face."

Kazane began hovering nervously in lotus as she watched Kurama stumble back into the ring. He looked like a beat up rag doll, using all of his strength to keep on his feet. His hand trembled as he tried to withdraw his rose whip, the petals on the end simply disintegrating at the lack of energy.

It would be fine. Everything would be _fine_.

She didn't realize she was whispering her mantra out loud until Kuwabara put a hand on her shoulder.

Kurama ran straight out towards the ring, his still graceful acrobatics putting Kazane mildly at ease. She watched in admiration as he launched assault after assault on Karasu using only hand-to-hand, recognizing a lot of the moves he had used during their own spars back at the temple.

"He has a plan," Hiei spoke. "It's obvious in the way he moves."

"Kurama always has a plan," Kazane responded immediately, not looking over at him.

She nearly regret her words as Karasu withdrew the seed embedded in his chest, displaying it between his fingertips.

"Uh guys...I don't think he's gonna make it," Koenma softly said.

"He's going to make it," Kazane snapped angrily, the wind rustling around her.

This was all so stupid; she wished she could fast forward through all this bullshit and be done with the tournament. She wanted to hear the announcement that they were victorious, she wanted to pack up all of her things and head home. She wanted to be done with all this, maybe be a recluse for a while at the temple.

It was the worst kind of predicament, and her usual methods of compartmentalization weren't working at all. Normally she would think about the future, or maybe her training. Even that time she bandaged Hiei's arm she had been thinking about spots on the temple grounds she enjoyed. Trying to think about being at the temple now, however, was something she didn't want to mull over too long. She had already spent a stupid amount of time dissecting Karasu's outfit.

She was getting bitchy and snappish with all the stress surrounding these final matches, and now she was caught between thinking about the shitstorm brewing on the field or the horrendously sad idea of being alone at the temple afterwards.

An explosion echoed through the grounds alongside Kurama's cry, and Kazane felt her stomach roil uncomfortably as her teammate staggered to the ground, blood streaming from the gigantic gash in his leg. She could smell it in the air.

The explosions continued, and Kazane closed her eyes, tucking her chin into her chest. She still believed, but seeing someone she considered a friend (albeit one that constantly called her on her bullshit) being basically tortured wasn't enjoyable, or something she wanted to see. The way Karasu was acting was entirely ruthless, and she'd probably hear Kurama's screams in her night terrors.

The whole sight was way too familiar to her, and for a moment she imagined demon world's oppressive air constricting her windpipe.

Kuwabara's hand tightened on Kazane's shoulder, almost painful, as Yusuke screamed out. Still, she didn't open her eyes.

It was fine, everything was fine. Everything would be fine.

"_Yeah! Let 'em have it, Karasu!"_

"_Do it already, finish him! Finish him!"_

Juri began her countdown, and with every number she called Kazane could feel her heart thudding in her chest. As the counting halted she opened her eyes, returning to the ground from her hover and looking out towards the ring as Kurama rose off the floor.

She felt energy beckon, and this time it wasn't the insane energy of Yoko, or even the normal energy of Kurama's she had become familiar with. It seemed life energy was more pure, somehow unfiltered. In this form it was tinged with emotion, and the feel of desperation touched her senses.

The plant that materialized and sunk its tubers into Karasu was large, and if Kazane had to describe it; really fucking unsettling. The sight of it sucking out whatever from the blonde's chest was disturbing, and she looked away as the entirety of it settled over Karasu's body.

The urge to rush out onto the field and drag Kurama back to where they all stood was strong, but it was taking Juri a ridiculously long time to start her count. With each second that passed Kazane could feel more of Kurama's life force slipping away, and she pressed her hand on the edge of the ring. Her eagerness was halted, however, by Kurama slowly returning to his feet, the ebb of his life force once again more consistent.

"He's a little jacked up, but I'd say we won!" Kuwabara cheered.

Brushing away the small amount of tears on her face Kazane knelt and reached into her pack, taking out a large amount of the bandages and disinfectant from within.

Everything would be fine, just like she'd thought. She just needed to keep on thinking that until things were settled in dust, finally.

"And the winner by total gross-out is Kurama!"

Ignoring the optimistic cries of Kuwabara and Yusuke, Kazane strode out onto the field, taking one of Kurama's arms over her shoulder and ignoring the drying blood that was transferring onto her sweater. He gave her the smallest smile before it twisted into a grimace.

"Don't you _dare _do that to me again," She chastised, and at her words Kurama chuckled half-heartedly.

"Glad to hear you were concerned."

"Of course, you dolt," Kazane responded, fighting to keep the emotion out of her voice. "If you died who would keep me in check?"

Kurama paused before speaking, his voice strained. "I'm afraid we are not out of the woods yet."

She was about to ask for clarification before understanding awashed her, and as Kazane settled Kurama onto the dirt outside the ring she turned her gaze towards the glass window where the committee was. It took barely a moment before Juri raised her arm.

"And the official announcement says the winner of match one is Karasu!"

Instantly an insane amount of fury unleashed inside of her, and she tried to rationalize it away.

Kazane knew Kurama would win, knew how dire the circumstances were. Of course the committee would rule in favor of Team Toguro. Even the smallest margin of error would be used against them, and Kurama had been down for a decent amount of time.

Still, in the wake of Juri's announcement and Yusuke's corresponding cry of disbelief, she found the urge to fly over to the opposing side and smash in every face nearly overwhelming.

"Huh? And now the fair and impartial Juri is saying that the winner was the late Karasu?" Koto called.

At least that referee had a sense of logic to her. If Kazane saw her outside the fights before this was all through she really needed to get her number, or something. Weird ascot thing be damned.

"It's not fair! These judges have had it out for us since the first day!" Kuwabara yelled, his fists shaking in anger.

Kazane began tending to Kurama's wounds, wrapping them carefully and apologizing every time he winced in pain. As Yusuke strode out onto the ring she cursed, gnashing her teeth. Being in two places at once would really be helpful at this moment, especially before Yusuke sucker-punched a referee.

"You just don't get it."

The elder Toguro's voice was almost serpentine, quiet but still speaking at that certain level that anyone could hear him. Kazane fucking hated it, and she glared back at where he sat draped across the elder Toguro's shoulders like some gross coat.

"Even if by cruel cosmic joke you survive your matches, you forget the champions are each granted a wish. Once our team winds and mine is awarded, I'll wish for the death of all your friends."

Kazane was so caught off guard by his words she completely ignored the fact that his finger was jabbed directly at her.

A wish of any magnitude, and the committee would grant it. She had completely forgotten about the prize for winning the Dark Tournament.

At first the idea of wishing back to her deadened life came to mind, but as soon as she thought about it something caught in her throat, and her stomach rebelled against her once more. Memories surfaced of her and Genkai's time together, her training with and heckling Yusuke, her interactions with everyone at Maze Castle.

Kuwabara's joyful face whenever she prepared a meal for them, Kurama's smile of approval whenever she finally got the hang of something during their lessons, Yusuke half-heartedly rolling his eyes whenever she sang a song she knew he liked after training.

Her fireside, open-hearted chats with Hiei in the middle of the night.

Kazane had built a life here, and as torn as she felt she couldn't just abandon the people that had become so dear to her, even if she was originally acquainted with them in a 2D world. She hadn't made peace with leaving her old life behind, not even close. Her night terrors were the biggest example of that, but still. She'd feel like a coward if she didn't stay to see things through as best she could.

She still needed to figure out how her soul had managed to get here in the first place.

"Want to know what I'll wish for when we beat them?" Hiei said, drawing Kazane from her thoughts. He stepped forward, alongside Yusuke. "The bloody death of every member of that corrupt Tournament Committee so that I'll never be pulled into one of their carnivals again."

Hiei's words were scathing, and Kazane finally finished securing Kurama's bandages, looking up towards the demon. He exuded nothing but confidence, his eyes glimmering as he stared down the others across the ring.

The smaller Toguro brother that spoke earlier nimbly darted onto the stone, and as his eyes set on Kazane she felt a shiver race up her spine.

"Normally I'd allow you to pick your first martyr, but I'd like to face the half-breed myself."

Why the fuck was he singling her out?

The panic clawing its way up Kazane's throat was stifled by the loud thuds of Bui stepping into the ring. The demon was a behemoth, taller than nearly anyone she'd ever seen, and his armor was...disgustingly garish.

"This should be dandy."

"Yusuke," Hiei said, never taking his eyes off the man. "I planned on taking the thug with the sunglasses for myself, but after what he did to Genkai, I believe vengeance belongs to you."

"Thank you," Yusuke replied softly.

Before Hiei started making his way into the ring Kazane deferred from where she sat alongside Kurama to grip his sleeve, and as he turned his head towards her she found that her words were once again dying in her throat.

He was aching to get into battle, that much was clear. She relinquished her grip on his clothing before letting out a deep sigh.

"Tear him to pieces," Kazane quipped harshly, and it seemed Hiei could detect the tone of what she had been planning to say, much to her chagrin, for he smirked.

Seeing Kurama wounded beyond belief was hard enough; if the same would be true for everyone on her team then she'd probably go insane.

He darted into the ring quickly, only a shadow of himself barely left behind, and Kazane watched him march forward with anxiety humming in her veins. A soft chuckle near caused her to turn, and she promptly flushed under Kurama's soft but knowing grin.

"He'll be alright," He whispered, and Kazane willed a soft gust of wind towards his face, grimacing.

"Whatever."

* * *

Hiei's fight with Bui was nerve-wracking, and for most of it Kazane hovered angrily next to Kurama and Yusuke, biting the skin around her nails. It was weird how a habit from a previous life was still present in this one, even if it only manifested itself in stressful situations. The bandages on Hiei's arm were different now, definitely ones he had prepared himself, and Kazane grit her teeth as she thought about the Dragon once more materializing on the tournament grounds.

It was honestly amazing to see Hiei stand stoic and stone-faced in the wake of all the short jokes Koto and Juri were making. Then again, Bui was a whopping nine feet tall.

"Uh, remind me never to let Hiei touch me again anytime soon, or like, ever," Kuwabara groaned as the fire demon dissipated Bui's axe with one hand.

It was a much different fight watching Hiei as opposed to Kurama previously. His movements were quick, on par with Kazane's, and watching him literally flame-punch an axe made her want to whoop and cheer with the others. The match had a much more positive outlook, at least for most of the beginning.

As Bui began removing his insanely weighted armor and Hiei stood patiently some feet away Kazane cursed, drawing the attention of Kurama, who was now standing next to her.

"He's too honorable to pummel that guy when he's at his must vulnerable."

Kurama's lips twitched upwards. "That's Hiei for you."

She probably shouldn't be hovering lotus while watching the fight, saving her energy in case she would be called into a match, but still. Old habits died hard, she supposed, and this tournament was really bringing them to the forefront. The last match Kazane could hardly watch as Kurama was nearly destroyed by Karasu, this time she couldn't tear her eyes from the field. It was as if her focusing on the match could prevent something awful from happening, even though entering the ring was forbidden.

The same damnable flames from days ago wound their way around Hiei's arm, and she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as his energy permeated the stadium. Simultaneously Bui's energy clashed, expounding off of him in waves. Being surrounded by such large amounts of lethal energy it was a wonder she didn't just bolt from the stadium. She really wasn't good at self-preservation at all.

"It's even more than before," Kurama noted. "Without control he could kill us all."

"That's cool," Yusuke joked sarcastically, panic in his eyes betraying how he really felt.

Kurama's energy when he was Yoko was overwhelming, if only in the way that the energy made Kazane feel so scrutinized she didn't want to hardly move for fear of being hunted down. Hiei's Dragon, though, was chilling and stifling. Even if she wanted to do much of anything it would take considerable effort on her part. The way it felt against her own energy made it clear there was an overwhelming hunger to consume everything. On some level she was also irritated; Hiei's energy wasn't meant to be chilling. It was supposed to burn, raze everything near to the ground.

Trying to stem the tremors raking through her body she continued to watch, trying to take comfort in the presence of everyone around her.

Tendrils of black, crackling energy came down into the stadium from the clouds, concrete worn away in seconds by the sheer magnitude of it. Even Koto forcefully pulled Juri out of the ring by her tail as the pungent aura swarmed throughout it.

It was only now, after a second viewing when Kazane was fully-focused on the fight that she understood why the energy emitted from the Dragon was familiar to her. The darkness made sense; it was in the damn name. That same echoless expanse of death underneath her own skin radiated from it, however. Something that she was well-acquainted with; from her birth to her torture in Maze Castle, and in the way Genkai recoiled from her energy when she tried to learn to heal wounds.

It was void. A lack of anything.

Her stomach clenched, and she suppressed a retch, pressing a palm to her mouth forcefully. Was this why Hiei was so interested in her? Could he feel the same energy within her as the Dragon in his arm? Still, even as the energy grew she couldn't look away, and Yusuke pressed a hand to her shoulder, concern swirling in his eyes.

"You okay?"

Not trusting herself to verbally respond Kazane nodded, squeezing her eyes shut in an attempt to ground herself. The conflicting and overwhelming energy of the match was already way too much for her to comprehend, and she ceased her hover to shakily stand on the ground as her teammates talked about the chaos ensuing.

The stadium was being completely ripped apart by the Dragon bowling over every obstacle in sight, and against her will a thought sprang to her mind.

This was really Hiei, wasn't it? Seeing the sheer power he wielded firsthand was insane, and as fear threatened to overtake her Kazane remembered his words back in the medical tent.

"_You've no idea what I've done."_

There was a semblance of regret in his eyes, a shame in that small admonition. He wasn't bringing forth the Dragon for the purpose of seeing the audience disintegrated (although it couldn't be a downside, surely), he was doing it because he was determined to win this match and beat Bui at any cost. There was also a part of him that relished a good fight, same as Kazane. This was as fair of a demon fight as there could be. After spending most time in Hiei's company outside of battle the sight of just how powerful he was sent shivers up her spine.

It was fucking irresponsible to even think she could ever win in a fight against him seriously.

Bui had redirected the Dragon, somehow turning its power back on Hiei, and Kazane frantically felt out for his energy in and around the stadium as she lost sight of him. It was there, even slightly dimmed as it was. She couldn't help a small smile from spreading across her face as Hiei reappeared behind Bui, tendrils of the Dragon's power flowing from him.

Watching Bui punch and kick Hiei with little to no reaction from the fire demon was a sight she wouldn't soon forget. There weren't even welts or bruises making themselves known on his skin.

The climax of the battle was as flashy as the rest of it, Bui getting knocked into the earth outside the ring by Hiei, the dragon formed around him. As Hiei deftly skirted back into the destroyed ring and Juri concluded her count Kazane grinned, feeling elated.

"The second fight is over! Hiei takes the point!"

One step closer to finally being done with this shitshow.

"Really awesome, Hiei," Yusuke admitted, sporting a grin himself.

"Yeah, awesome," Kuwabara hesitantly agreed. "Uh, why don't you go about twenty yards that way and fight the rest of them!"

Despite the shaking in his legs Hiei still managed to look intimidating, shooting the ginger a glare through half-lidded eyes.

"That's against the rules now, you cretin. Besides, my attack expired."

"Expired?"

"I don't know if your brains can imagine it, but this attack drained a great deal of my energy." Hiei...yawned? "I'll require some hibernation to get it back. Think you can manage finding a safe place for my body where it won't get stepped on?"

His last question was aimed at Kazane, and his words caught her so off guard that she could do little more than blink in response. She stepped forward immediately without thinking as he lost consciousness, his body falling forwards and slamming on top of her own, and she hissed out a string of curses. He was heavier than he looked.

She was about to insult him for just falling over but paused as she noted the expression on his face, or lackthereof, and settled him down gently on the ground, a hand cradling the back of his head. Seeing Hiei asleep was...definitely a first. The usual guarded look he wore was gone, his face infinitely more open and relaxed than anytime she had seen him. Ever.

A soft chuckle brought Kazane back to reality, and she felt heat rise to her ears as Yusuke joined in with Kurama's laughing.

"Hold on! So nothing we do will wake him up?" Kuwabara asked, looking as though he wanted to poke Hiei and make sure he was really asleep. He withdrew a marker from inside his pocket. "Can I give him a mustache?"

Kazane swallowed her embarrassment and laughed, a warm feeling settling in her chest as she glanced over at Hiei.

She really needed to step her game up if everyone else around her was going to be that strong.

* * *

"You've gotta hand it to him, when Hiei's feeling serious he really lets you know."

Kazane nodded in agreement at Yusuke's words, her eyes roving over where half of the goddamn stadium had been blown apart from the last match. Who even knew how many audience members were dead? Well, not that she really cared too much. They had been spouting insults at her team since they first came to the island.

"With this technique mastered his power is overwhelming indeed," Kurama added, a smirk on his face. "We'll have to stay on his good side."

"Hell, he didn't say how long he'd hibernate. Maybe we'll all be dead when he wakes up and it won't be an issue."

"Don't say that," Kazane chastised, aiming a kick at the boy's shin. "You're gonna kick Toguro's ass and then we're all going home."

"Yeah, well before that happens what do you think they're going to do with the ring?" Yusuke said, dodging her half-hearted kick easily. "Looks like a graveyard."

The whole area was a disaster, and if they didn't replace it would be a pain in the ass to navigate during a fight. Tripping over some rubble and falling flat on your face could mean a quick death if you weren't careful.

An itch on the back of her neck caused her to turn, and Kazane found that the pair of eyes she met were the elder Toguro's. There was something malicious behind them, and rather than continue in an inevitable stare-off she turned to Kurama, clenching her fists.

"How are you feeling?"

"Well, I'm hardly at my best," The fox demon joked. "But I believe I'll be fine. Provided I don't have to compete again, that is."

"There's only a couple more matches left so I think our chances aren't too shabby." Kazane blinked in surprise at the look Kurama was giving her. "What?"

"Hiei will be alright, he just needs to recover." That same knowing, coy tone crept into his voice.

Instantly she blushed, crossing her arms and avoiding his gaze. Her snappy retort was cut off as Koto's voice called throughout the stadium once more.

"I've received word that we'll have a long intermission while the replacement ring is brought in. Feel free to move around the parts of the stadium that still exist. And of course, as always, don't forget the snack bars!"

A relieved sigh escaped Kazane's lips, and as Kuwabara suggested heading back to the locker room she began to make her way towards the entrance, halting when she realized Hiei was still lying on the ground.

"Uh, guys?" She jerked a thumb over at his prone form.

The grin Yusuke flashed in response was on par with Kurama's. "What? You carried me into the stadium the other day. I guess we just assumed you'd do the same for Hiei."

It took everything in Kazane's power to not throw a punch at her surrogate brother, or at Kurama for the amused look he was wearing. Kuwabara appeared completely nonplussed at the situation, one brow quirked upwards as he looked over the three of them.

"Fine," She muttered, huffing angrily. "Fine!"

For as heavy as Hiei had been when he toppled over, the demon had nothing on Yusuke's weight. With a little more force than she intended she hefted Hiei onto her back, trying to ignore the heat his entire body exhibited. This whole situation was fucking stupid, and she felt like Yusuke and Kurama were plotting against her, conspiring together to make her as frustrated as possible.

Even their steps towards the hallway and locker room area seemed faster than normal, and Kazane found herself lagging behind the group further than she wanted, trying to pick up the pace but still many feet away. Using wind to help propel her would be a waste if it came time to fight, and with the way that Toguro brother was looking at her she could tell it wasn't out of the realm of possibility. Kazane cursed her teammates' existence briefly, before a bandaged hand curling around the fabric of her sweater caught her attention.

God, this was so embarrassing. Why the hell was she the one carrying Hiei when all the others had muscles basically bigger than her?

Making sure the fire demon was well and truly out she began humming, trying to focus on putting one foot in front of the other as she made her way through the dimmed hallway.

It was true she had been scared of Hiei when she watched him in the ring, something that she probably should have been all along, honestly. Genkai had outright warned her against getting too chummy with her demon companions. Seeing him now, though, at his most vulnerable tempered some of the unease in her limbs.

She paused before entering the area the boys had disappeared through moments ago, gently uncurling Hiei's hand from her clothing. When the hell had that happened? If they were going to be assholes better to not give them ammunition for...whatever. She entered the room, settling Hiei down on one of the cushioned benches before stepping back towards the wall and beginning to stretch.

Another nervous habit. She hadn't realized she'd been this frazzled today.

Yusuke and Kuwabara were both leaning against the walls, arms crossed, while Koenma and Kurama sat on the bench opposite. As Kazane dipped in the more difficult stretches Kuwabara's gruff voice called out to her.

"Hey, that little guy was giving you a pretty spooky look. If you're not feelin' up to it I can take him."

His words caught her off guard, and she bit her lip as she took in the sincere concern in his eyes.

"I mean, Yukina and Genkai healed me pretty well yesterday. I just don't get why he's so fixated on fighting me."

Originally Kuwabara had been the one to fight him, right? The dick had basically terrorized him right up to the point of the match. She couldn't think of a reason for his singling her out.

"Perhaps it's because he holds a grudge for Genkai," Koenma piped in, his words muffled from his pacifier. "You _are_ basically her progeny, alongside Yusuke. That's where I believe his motivations lie."

Chewing furiously on her bottom lip Kazane sighed, running a hand through her hair before turning towards Kuwabara. "Well, you've got a fancy new sword now, right? It'd be a shame if you didn't show it off."

Instead of an enthusiastic response like she had been expecting Kuwabara simply frowned, and it was then that Yusuke spoke up, turning his brown eyes to her. There was a sort of understanding behind them.

"If this is something you've gotta do then I don't think anyone here is going to stop you, you know."

Kazane held his gaze for a moment before sighing deeply once more, leaning back against the wall and sinking down into a yanki squat. Massaging her temples she looked at the tiled floor.

"I don't really care either way as long as he gets his face beat in," She began, picking off flecks of dried blood on her sweater. "I'm just...I mean compared to you guys I'm really not on the same level."

It was a truth she had been quickly coming to terms with since seeing Kurama and Hiei's matches. Up til now she had been confident in her fighting prowess, but since the news of their participation in the tournament she hadn't made much headway. Kurama had helped her truly develop two attacks, one she'd already used during her match with Shishiwakamaru. The other wasn't something she wanted to use unless the need really arose, and even then it couldn't hold a candle to the maneuvers her two teammates had used previously.

She should have made more of an effort in her training. She should have really pushed her abilities to their limits. She had been exhausted after the training at the temple, of that there was no doubt. Still, she could've pushed harder.

Being completely outclassed by her teammates wasn't something she admitted easily, but it was the truth. She absolutely hated it.

"What're you talkin' about?!" Kuwabara stepped forward, a fist curled. "You're one of the strongest people I know!"

"That's right," Kurama added, interrupting Kazane's sputtering retorts. "Without your assistance I doubt we could have made it this far."

They would have, though. In another life, another timeline. One where she didn't exist.

Yusuke finally stepped away from the wall, uncrossing his arms as he sent a heavy stare her way.

"The Kazane I know doesn't pussy out when things get hard. In fact, she likes to put it all on herself. If you really think you can't face off against that ugly twerp then fine, let Kuwabara handle it. But you wouldn't be here if you _couldn't_ handle it."

It took a moment for Yusuke's harsh words to sink in, and when they did Kazane sighed once more, readjusting her bun as she stood up to full height.

"Ugh, I hate you...but you're right." She turned to Kuwabara. "You sure you're alright with that?"

A pearly grin spread across the ginger's face. "Honestly, that guy creeps me the heck out, but I think you can take him on."

Kazane's moment of feeling marginally better was interrupted by the arrival of Botan and Company. Shizuru was the first to enter the room, and she sent a look Kazane's way. Both Botan and Yukina held concern in their eyes, and Keiko was busy sending worrying looks Yusuke's way, looks he was pointedly ignoring.

"You got this?" Shizuru asked, and the look behind her eyes was intense. It was obvious she was thinking about her brother fighting if Kazane fell. Undoubtedly their voices had carried out into the hallway.

Even if Kuwabara made the gallant offer to take her place in the fight there was still an insane amount of nervousness in his countenance.

Trying to put a confident face on Kazane nodded. "Sure. Can I, uh, bum a cigarette though?"

Giving a small smile Shizuru strode closer, handing the redhead a cigarette and lighting the end with her zippo. If the whole situation wasn't so bizarre and tense she would feel nervous beyond all belief at the brunette standing in close proximity. As Yukina stepped closer to Kuwabara Kazane glanced over at where Hiei was passed out, smirking at his probably masked rage at their innocent little romance.

Yukina surprisingly produced some beers and began distributing them, and as everyone settled into some semblance of calm Yusuke approached Kazane, standing next to her as she took nervous drags on the cancer stick. Even if she wanted to nitpick the emotions behind his eyes she couldn't, and he nudged her arm with his elbow.

"No dying, though. That's definitely not allowed."

Smiling softly Kazane nudged him back. "Rule number one of Team Urameshi. No dying. That goes for you, too, bonehead."

"As if I'd get killed by that asshole," Yusuke jibbed, rolling his eyes.

Downing her beer in record time Kazane glanced over the room, taking in the many bodies that she had become acquainted with since Genkai had sought out a successor. Her heart sinking she silently wished the old bat could be in the room with them, Yusuke and her persevering despite overwhelming circumstances. The way two demons fought on the side of humans, something Genkai had probably rarely seen in her lifetime.

She hoped the old lady was proud of her, wherever she dwelled in Spirit World. She deserved that, at the very least, and more.

"Hey, Kazane, can you sing that one song I really like?" Kuwabara asked, refusing a beer from Yukina politely.

"I, uh..." Kazane responded eloquently, her eyes darting around the room. Singing when she was trying to keep her mind busy was one thing, singing consciously with a room full of people was an entirely different thing. Clearing her throat she nervously asked, "Which one?"

She knew which one; it was one he always commented on when she found herself singing it, and every time he did it was a surprise. She just asked to stall.

It was clear Kuwabara would never be a famous singer, as the rendition he gave her of the main verse was crude and off-key, but recognizable. Ignoring the stares from everyone in the room Kazane took a deep breath, staring up at the ceiling as she began her rendition. It didn't take long before she felt more comfortable, tapping beats onto her thigh as she sang.

"_Somehow we're safe and sound, like the glow of the shore..."_

Even if she got absolutely trashed in the next match she would make it through. She had to. It was a fitting song Kuwabara chose, one that inspired confidence. She had bodies in the room that she had come to care for, and even if her being in this universe was just a random happenstance she had to do her best to protect them no matter what the cost. Even if that was facing off against some morphing, pale and ugly demon.

The Toguro brothers had been human originally though, right? Something like that. They were an abomination.

She caught Yukina glancing at Kuwabara and smiled, feeling that same warmth in her chest as she had so many times before. Against her better judgment she stole a glance at Hiei.

She had things to protect, and she'd do it with every ounce of energy she had.

* * *

**Note:**

**Hey, hope y'all are doing well. There's a lot going on in this chapter, but I don't have too much to say about it, except that I hope you guys enjoyed the small HieixKazane moments peppered throughout.**

**I always enjoy hearing your thoughts in the reviews; they really make my day. **

**Only the best for Vienna22, xenocanaan, rsaenz18, xCutePoison, Damaged Forest Spirit, and Guest.**

**Title credit and the song Kazane sings at the end go to Coppertone by Hellogoodbye.**


	18. Lead Sails (And A Paper Anchor)

Ignoring Toguro carrying the ring on his back was easy; the sight of it alone would probably have just made her puke. Staying in the locker room was much more preferable, even if Yusuke and Kuwabara raced outside to investigate the loud thuds.

The girls had absconded not long before, and internally Kazane was glad for that. Seeing the younger Toguro heft a fucking saucer of stone on his back probably wouldn't do wonders for morale.

Hiei's eyes opened, and Kazane leaned forward on the bench.

"Ah, you're finally awake?" Kurama asked, his voice soft.

"Where am I?" Hiei replied, immediately sitting up, much to Kazane's dismay. "How long have I been out?"

Getting upright after such an exhausting match was probably not the smartest move, but she kept her barbed words to herself. If he was left lightheaded then so be it.

"We're in the locker room," Kurama explained. "And you've been hibernating for a little over six hours."

Immediately Hiei's face contorted into an expression of fury. "Six hours?! Well, who won the tournament?"

"I'm afraid I can't answer that one. Nothing's changed since you were last up. Yusuke and Kuwabara got bored and went for a walk."

With the amount of time that had passed Kazane was amazed she hadn't taken a nap, but despite the optimistic atmosphere her friends had exuded sleep was out of the question. For the most part she just lounged on one of the padded benches, rhythmically tapping her fingers and humming. It was probably super annoying for everyone else, but nobody snapped at her to stop. When Kuwabara and Yusuke announced they were getting some fresh air she had replied that she was staying behind, and she had barely caught the glimpse of Yusuke's concerned face as he left through the doorway. The nervous tension in her body just wouldn't allow for anything leisure.

"You destroyed the entire stadium," Kazane said, fiddling with her bun nervously. "It's going to take a minute before the next matches get going."

"Toguro carried the ring in on his back, so we can begin shortly," Kurama added.

"Who's fighting then?" Hiei demanded, and as the fox demon glanced over at Kazane she sighed.

"I'm fighting the elder Toguro," She explained. "He seems to have some vendetta against me anyway."

Hiei simply stared at her, his brows knit together, and his next words were interrupted by Koto's voice calling from the loudspeaker in the room.

"I've just received official word; the ring is now in place and we'll be ready to start in thirty minutes. Please make your way to your seats in an orderly fashion. And Juri, if you can hear this, get over here!"

A beat of silence passed as Kazane sat on the cushioned seat. Her bottom lip was probably ruined at this point. An extended hand entered her line of vision, and she hesitated briefly before taking it and standing on her feet, shooting the fox demon a small smile.

"Shall we go, Hiei, Kazane?" Kurama offered softly, and once more she was grateful for not eating a full meal at breakfast.

The beer Yukina brought was standard fare, and only helped calm her nerves slightly. As she walked through the darkened corridors she kept feeling a stare on her, but every time she looked up to the figures in front they were facing ahead or towards the ground.

Despite what Yusuke and the others said she was apprehensive to battle in this round, still not entirely feeling up to it. Both Toguro brothers were ruthless, and if she wanted to win this match then she'd have to match that ruthlessness.

Yusuke and Kuwabara were standing as intimidatingly as possible, arms crossed as they approached. From across the ring Kazane's opponent fixed her with a steady glare, and she responded with a hand on her hip, meeting his gaze full on and letting the wind pick up.

If she didn't have the confidence in her she would fake it. That was what she was good at, after all.

Stepping forward amidst Koto's observations Kazane stole once last glance back at her teammates. Yusuke gave her a determined smile, as well as Kuwabara and Kurama. As her eyes met Hiei's own red, however, she hesitated. Waking up from a much needed nap and finding that things hadn't just ended as expected was probably jarring, and she grinned, her sharpened incisors taking front row as she plastered a smile on her face.

"Promise to bring you back an ear, or something," She joked, and Yusuke cackled.

"I want a whole limb!"

She had been expecting Hiei to smirk or scoff, _something _at her words, but he just stood in silence. His whole demeanor was incredibly tense, and Kazane swallowed nervously.

As she turned and walked further into the ring she wondered how her opponent found clothing that fit him. There was no way most department stores carried stock for men on par with her height. The elder Toguro was incredibly short; even where he stood before her Kazane could tell he didn't have more than a centimeter on her. Did demons like the Toguros even find their clothing in department stores? Fuck it.

"You find that in the kid's section?" She teased, calling on her spirit energy to her legs. She'd have to opt for the same strategy as Kurama; scoping things out before the real match began. He could shapeshift, but that was about all she could remember.

An amused grin spread across his thin lips. "Feigning confidence, are we?"

Her fans were at the ready, flicked open immediately upon entering the ring. Surely her opponent would use more than brute strength. Her wrists were completely limbered up, as well as the rest of her muscles and joints. She had probably stretched more in the six hour wait time than she had the entirety of her time at the temple.

Juri's voice cascaded across the stadium before she scampered back closer to the edge, and Kazane ceased the stupid thoughts bouncing around in her brain.

She waited patiently for him to make the first move, and immediately the ground beneath his feet began to crack, reaching out towards where Kazane was standing. She retreated to another part of the ring, watching him carefully with every muscle tensed. She hesitantly shot a blade of wind in his direction, and surprisingly it connected, a deep, grotesque gash appearing on his figure.

The sadistic gleam in his eyes never wavered for a second, and Kazane registered smaller projectiles coming towards her swiftly. Ducking and rolling over she saw the fingers he had launched seconds ago miss their mark.

God, this was bullshit.

A clone of the elder Toguro sprung from the cracks in the concrete, and Kazane grit her teeth as he emerged from the crack, letting out a spine-chilling cackle. Koto's voice called once more over the audience, and Kazane glared at where her opponent stood, an amused expression on his face.

"I was thinking about how nice it would be to trick you but clearly I was underestimating your observational skills," He hissed. "Unfortunately to have any hope of winning this battle you'll have to hit me first."

He was goading Kazane into making angry mistakes, hoping she would fly off the handle and attack him head on.

"See," Toguro continued, deformed flesh springing from the side of his face and pulsating. "I can move my vital points wherever I wish. It makes injuring me very complicated. Landing a hit alone will be next to futile."

Flicking her fans angrily Kazane flashed her pearls at him. "How chivalrous of you to talk about your weaknesses."

"Well, what fun is it when your opponent doesn't even have a chance?" He replied, flashing her his own sadistic smile, and despite her attempt to remain calm Kazane could feel anger rising to the surface.

Whipping sharp gusts of air directly at him she began moving around the ring at intense speeds, relying mostly on her sense of energy to feel where he was. The familiar sound of wind against flesh was absent, and she could tell that Elder Toguro was using his insane flexibility to maneuver out of the way of the blades.

"It's clear Genkai wasted her time with someone like you. A half demon, hardly capable of keeping up with those around her. Bested in skill and power by her own brother, someone who lost in a match against a human."

Kazane continued skirting around the arena, trying to ignore what he was saying. It wouldn't do any good to get riled up over it; she had won her matches and fought her way here herself, even if one was on less than desirable circumstances. Yusuke had faith in her; all of them did.

More disgustingly long fingers came towards her as she dodged, and she leapt out of the way, briefly registering the searing pain radiating from her right arm. A single pinky finger was lodged in near her elbow, and she glanced over at Toguro, noting that he had been using both hands to try and maim her.

Once again someone had predicted her dodge and used it to their advantage. She needed to be faster, dammit. Needed to branch out from just using moves Genkai had taught her, ones she had grown comfortable in. Of course he had been watching her match with Shishiwakamaru.

"Perhaps your attachment for the old crone is due to your own fragile human genes," Elder Toguro hissed, withdrawing his finger and eliciting a groan from the redhead. "Such weakness, even when granted such power. Miserable cases, the both of you."

Slights against Kazane herself she could deal with. Nobody was as hard on her as she was, not even Genkai's sadistic form of training. The very fact she didn't belong here in the first place was reason enough for her to constantly be dissatisfied with her own skills.

Slights against Genkai, however, were another matter.

Wind began whipping around Kazane's figure, tendrils of her hair displaced from her bun and playing wildly around her head. The pain from the wound on her arm was gone, entirely masked by the sheer anger and adrenaline coursing through her veins.

She had never wanted to absolutely destroy someone as much as her opponent.

"Oh, touched a nerve, have I?" Toguro cackled. "You've seen it firsthand; the power of the renowned Genkai withering away alone in the woods. Lamenting her former flame for pursuing what she didn't have the will to."

"No," Kazane responded, adopting a scathing tone. "Pretty sure it was because your brother's body is a million times the size of his dick. Obviously compensating for something." She was pleased to note her crude words had caused a flash of surprise from the demon. "And your whole attitude reeks of jealousy."

His face contorting into an expression of absolute rage the Elder Toguro struck out once more with his limbs, and Kazane began dodging the gross tendrils, using more wild acrobatics as opposed to her usual dodges. If she was going to be unpredictable then she'd be unpredictable.

The seconds of stupid ass villain monologueing had given her a moment to come with a plan, anyway.

The frantic energy that now encapsulated her was on par with the time she had sparred against Hiei, except with the edge of a life-or-death situation attached. Back then she had been just enjoying someone on the same level of speed as her; now it was the satisfaction of seeing someone as angry as she was, and something inside of her that mingled with the anger. A need to maim, to kill, to tear. The want to eviscerate him was overwhelming.

"And yet still your useless self is simply dodging my attacks!" Toguro screamed. "Bold words for someone so young and stupid!"

It was easy to tune out his words when she had something completely different to focus on, not to mention the bloodlust that only served to heighten her other senses. She methodically skirted around Toguro, inching closer in some spots before backing off towards the edge. It seemed her rebellious remarks had incensed him just enough; slowly his willowy arms and fingers began wrapping around his own body, too focused on darting out in efforts to skewer her.

Kazane spent nearly five minutes using as little energy as possible to avoid his repulsive fingers, before intentionally hesitating at a space closer to the center of the ring. His phalanges on both hands immediately warped together to form a drill and shot out towards her, and rather than dash out of the way she eyed the projectile, waiting until the last second to skirt inches away from what was undoubtedly a lethal hit. His appendages dug into the flesh on her side, below her armpit, and she held in a sigh of relief as it missed any vital organ.

Feeling the blood stream down her skin she internally groaned. Maybe taking a page out of Kurama's book wasn't the smartest thing to do. She had still let it hit her, after all.

Elder Toguro began cackling, even more unhinged than before. "Despite your sensational speed you're still no match. Do you think me a fool? Even if I'm wrapped up in my own flesh I can still kill you. You're through, half-breed."

Meeting his beady eyes head on Kazane gripped onto the drill-arm tightly, nails embedding into his flesh, using her other hand to repel his body. As strong gusts of wind whipped throughout the stadium she saw a flash of surprise in his eyes, and she upped the ante, the fan in her hand now barely more than a blur as a whirlwind formed immediately behind Toguro. His clothing began to rip and shred from the sheer force of it, his hair getting pulled into the vortex, and Kazane grinned. Even if he could move his limbs it would be no use unless they could hold up against the pull of the wind.

"I'm not young," She hissed, using all of her power to pull him in closer to the whirlwind. "And I'm not through."

It was hard to keep her own balance in spite of the turbulence going on, and she sent energy to her feet, building resistance to her own attack. It was the same principle as the move she had laid on Shishiwakaru, except reverse. Instead of a cyclone that launched out sharp gusts to tear apart her enemy it was a tornado, meant to suck her opponent in and ravage them with no way of escaping. Almost like a whirlpool without water, or a black hole. Well, she supposed wind did have a way of drawing people in, regardless.

The moment in the locker rooms earlier Kazane had made peace with the fact that she was inevitably fighting the Elder Toguro, and she knew there was no other option than to use this attack; the bastard could move his vital points at will. Destroying him in his entirety was the only resolution to this fight.

A shriek of rage sounded, somewhat drowned out from the gale around her. A burst of pain blossomed from her ribcage, and Kazane barely let go of his arm and moved out of the way before the finger he had sent into her side would have gone into a lung.

It was as if his body was being forced through a woodchipper, and Kazane could hear the audience howling as blood rained down in the ring and the first few stands, some absolutely livid and some just excited to see some violence. Trying to keep her stance upright she tugged against the call of her own whirlpool of air, feeling her feet minutely slip. The new pain in her ribs was doing little to help keep her concentration.

The issue with the attack wasn't creating it, but dispelling it. Once the raging whirlwind of air was created it was insanely difficult to get rid of, almost something of its own. Even Kurama had been hesitant to develop it with her, and she couldn't really blame him. Kazane fell over, gripping the lip of the ring with a grimace on her face. The force of the gale cut away harshly at her upper arm and shoulder, and she bit back a scream, focusing only on counteracting the attack with opposing winds. It was jarring enough to watch her own blood just swept into the gale, beads pulling up off her skin.

She wanted to win this match, but more than that at this point she wanted to live.

It took many seconds of focused concentration, trying to ignore the pain coming from the wounds on her body, but eventually the whirlwind calmed, and Kazane wanted nothing more than to sink to the concrete of the stadium. Every ounce of her energy had been used to entice him in and dispel the attack. With amusement she noted the ring was now covered with fractures and cracks; even with a new ensemble thanks to the Younger Toguro it was still in shambles.

She had been worried about the time she was down on the stadium floor, but recounting the events in her head it couldn't have been near long enough for disqualification.

"Well, Kazane's opponent has been completely eviscerated, so I guess I better start the count," Juri called, bewildered, as Kazane stood upright. She clutched the wound on her side, rolling her eyes as the fish-demon's voice echoed throughout the audience.

"And the third match of the finals goes to Kazane!"

The relief coursing through her veins felt like the best drug in the entire world, and Kazane laughed breathlessly as she made her way back towards her teammates on shaky legs, grinning broadly at Yusuke's dumbfounded expression. There was also a glimmer of pride behind his eyes, and it made her want to tear up like a big baby. Nope, not now.

Standing was a pain in the ass, and so she sat harshly down on the dirt outside the ring, clutching her side. There was a lot of blood, but not nearly as much as when she faced Shishiwakamaru. At least her intentional actions wouldn't result in the worst blood loss. Again.

Not to mention unfathomable stupidity.

"See?!" Kuwabara yelled. "We knew you could do it!"

Yusuke shot her a relieved look, along with a thumbs up, and Kazane reciprocated, wincing as a pair of hands began to examine the wound in her side. With a start she realized it was Kurama, and she gave a weak smile as he began tending to them. How many outfits had been ruined now because of this tournament?

"Sheesh, can't you fight a match without coming out like a character in a horror movie?" Yusuke joked, and Kazane rolled her eyes.

"Sorry I couldn't bring you a limb, but it's probably for the best."

A beat of silence passed before Yusuke's face fell slightly, and Kazane shakily stood up, ignoring the look Kurama was sending her. So what if all of her wounds weren't patched up, yet? This was a little more important.

She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, you kick some ass and do me proud out there."

Somehow ignoring the blood transferring onto his skin Yusuke scoffed. "Yeah, _mom_, whatever you say." He made to turn and head into the ring but Kazane tightened her grip.

"Listen, I mean it. If something happens to you then..." She cleared her throat. "Well I guess I'll go apeshit. Nobody wants to see that. Rule number one of Team Urameshi: no dying."

Yusuke hesitated before turning back to face her, his lips quirked upward. He looked so much older than he was, the heaviest burden on his back. He reached out a hand and squeezed her shoulder once before making his way into the ring, and Kazane reluctantly stepped back towards Kurama, her eyes stuck on Yusuke's yellow shirt as he approached Toguro.

"_You always put everything on yourself, and I don't get why!"_

If Yusuke took ten seconds to think about it then he'd get it, because he did the exact same thing she did.

"Urameshi." Kuwabara's gruff voice called out towards the other thug, and Yusuke paused midstep. "Win this."

"Right."

* * *

Sakyo's self-righteous and impromptu announcement about betting his life on Yusuke and Toguro's match was reminiscent of every smarmy politician Kazane could recall from her deadened world.

The fact that Koenma so easily agreed to the terms was irritating enough to make her fidget with her fans, and it was only Hiei's pointed stare at her antics that brought her back to some level of relatively silent fuming. Even after Koenma softly explained the position he was in, and Yusuke's silent response, Kazane was still thoroughly irritated.

Another couple tons added to the immeasurable weight on his shoulders, all just for higher stakes and enjoyment.

"Attention everyone! The tournament committee will take ten minutes to consider this. And that means all parties have an additional ten minutes to place any final bets accordingly at any one of our many fine betting windows!"

Yusuke huffed out an annoyed sigh before returning back towards the others, and as Kurama finished knotting the bandages on Kazane's arm she softly thanked him, blinking in surprise as Kuwabara appeared next to her. The expression on his face was tense, and he had his hands jammed into the pockets of his white jumpsuit.

"You alright?" She asked hesitantly.

He grit his jaw and relaxed it before responding. "Do you think anyone was gonna say somethin' to me about Genkai if you didn't?"

His question was coming out of left field, and Kazane collected herself before sighing deeply.

"You know Yusuke...saying it out loud means it's real. It was hard enough for me to tell you."

She really should've expected a question like this. As far as she could remember Kuwabara always felt left out of the team, a black sheep. Part of the reason she had told him the truth was because she felt like she owed him as much, especially for dealing with grueling training for over a month. That, and she'd felt the burden of acknowledging the whole ordeal out loud went to her.

She had dealt with her own death, for fuck's sake. She could survive through this, even as hard as it was.

"Genkai said goodbye to me in the hotel," Kazane continued, unable to meet his eyes. "I felt her energy go not too long after that. Yusuke never said anything to me, or Hiei and Kurama."

Kuwabara mulled over her words, obviously grappling with this new information. It wasn't hard to tell what he was thinking; he was an open book any time an emotion warped through him. It took nearly a full minute before he responded.

"Thanks," He said softly, and Kazane half-heartedly clapped him on the back, wishing that she was better at comforting others.

The sound of a loud, droning buzzer filled the arena, and Juri's voice immediately followed suit.

"Ahem, I'm been informed the committee has no objections to Sakyo's proposal, so this next fight between Toguro and Urameshi will be worth two points, and that means it will determine the winner of this year's Dark Tournament!"

The crowd began cheering uproariously, and the same trepidation Kazane had felt so many times during this whole ordeal made its way into her gut. They were so close to being free, but still this match was too intense for her to feel any sense of relief just yet.

Crossing her arms and tapping impatiently with two fingers, Kazane registered Hiei falling in place next to her, and she wholeheartedly ignored his presence as Yusuke and Toguro stared each other down in the ring.

"Toguro versus Urameshi!"

A pair of familiar spirit energies made their way into the stands, and Kazane looked up at one of the entrances, locking eyes with a matching set of blue orbs.

Jin's face lit up like a firework, and after muttering something to Toya and Chu he disappeared, a simple gust of wind left behind. It took barely a second before the redhead was standing before her, and she didn't miss the way he almost fully obscured Hiei's form before he started babbling. From where Kuwabara stood a few feet away he jumped at Jin's entrance.

"Chu gambled off our tickets like the clod he is, and I missed yer fight! And ye got hurt! Kaz!"

She waved a hand at his protests, smirking at the livid look Hiei was trying unsuccessfully to mask as he stood stock-still. Her brother was a beast next to him. "You know me, just accident-prone. I swear I'm fine."

Taking inventory on her expertly bandaged wounds Jin frowned. "After Urameshi clobbers this twit yer tellin' me all about yer match."

Kazane nodded, and Jin responded by wrapping her in a tight hug, the demoness hissing out obscenities as his limbs pressed against her wounds. Still, despite how nerve-wracked she had been just minutes ago, the sight of Jin eagerly popping down to make sure she was okay was enough to quiet her unease. It seemed he could tell who had dealt with her wounds as he gave a small nod to Kurama, who responded in kind, albeit with more grace.

He gave her a beaming grin before disappearing once more, and Kazane caught the familiar whiff of lavender and fresh air as he returned to where Toya and Chu had claimed seats for the three of them and the Rinku brat.

Hiei's hands were pressed into his pants pockets, his brows knit, and Kazane sighed. Surely it wasn't impossible for everyone to get along? Yeah, her brother was upbeat and took things in stride, the literal opposite of Hiei, but still. Couldn't the fire-demon at least acknowledge him? Then again, the last time he acknowledged her brother was when they were ready to strangle each other in the hotel.

Turning her attention back to the ring she saw Yusuke and Toguro locked in steady glare, and she bit her lip.

"Begin!"

Juri's voice got lost in the cheering of the audience, and Toguro's body began warping, the energy surrounding his flesh growing more opaque by the second. His muscles expanded, embellished by the loud groans that erupted from his mouth, and as the ring once again began to deteriorate at the sheer force of energy pressed onto it Kazane inhaled sharply.

She hated this, was thoroughly done with this bullshit of participating in life-threatening matches and seeing those she loved fucked up in battle. This is what everyone had been waiting to see, and she felt her breaths coming faster as Toguro's energy kicked up.

If she made it out of this stadium alive she deserved a goddamn vacation, spirit world antics be damned. She needed a break. They all did. Maybe she'd pull a Genkai and become a recluse, spending all of her time with the koi fish in the pond, sipping tea.

The force of Toguro's energy was eviscerating participants in the stands, and Kazane watched as they became nothing more than blood and vapor, her hands trembling. The wounds that she had previously been able to ignore once again sang in agony, and she grimaced. It felt like a miasma, something that wanted to wreak havoc from the inside and completely wipe out any sign of life. Once again she begrudgingly thanked the demon blood in her veins; if she were true human she'd probably be a puddle of blood by now.

"Amazing! Toguro's demon energy is so strong that it's literally melting the flesh off the weaker apparitions," Hiei observed, and Kazane wanted to punch him for his ignorance.

"They're not the only ones," Kurama added, clutching his own wounds. "I'm afraid Kazane and I can't take much more in our present states." At his words Hiei glanced at Kazane and Kurama, a frown spreading across his lips.

Beside her Kuwabara was putting on a strong face against the energy, still forcefully pushed back next to the fox demon.

"Not...a problem...I can handle it!"

This whole situation was fucked. Trying to slow her breathing Kazane squeezed her eyes shut, and she nearly missed Koenma's next words as she tried to ground herself, trying to summon what little energy she had left in an attempt to make some sort of half-assed spontaneous barrier. Nothing happened except a feeling akin to glass shards spreading throughout her veins; she was exhausted beyond belief.

"Well actually, no you can't, Kuwabara. Now all of you, stick behind me!"

Kazane immediately did as he said, the seeming chokehold around her neck considerably lessened as Koenma manifested a shroud of his own energy to seal them in. She bent over, palms resting on her knees as she breathed deeply, and once more warmth awashed her limbs as Hiei stood next to her, only looking out at the two figures in the ring.

She'd never admit it out loud but the heat Hiei gave off did make her feel less hysterical.

Seeing Yusuke in the literal thick of it without a hair out of place, however, was enough to bring back that anxiety.

Toguro was literally twice the size of him, and as Yusuke rushed out to land a punch in his abdomen Kazane found that she wanted to look away but couldn't; wincing as Toguro landed a blow on his chin and sent him flying. The crackle of conflicting energy between them was audible even from this kind of distance.

Yusuke persisted, trying to land some kind of attack, and that was when Toguro began royally fucking up the ring simply with a wave of his arm. An entire ream of tournament-goers were dead thanks to the attack and Yusuke sported a cut on his cheek, much to Kazane's displeasure. The urge to try to use her remaining energy to hover was overwhelming, but she clamped down on the urge and instead began humming disjointed bits from songs. Maybe she really was going insane.

"Those fools!" Hiei called, fist clenching. "Why don't they stop dancing around each other and fight? One must never let emotions enter the ring. That was a mistake."

Immediately Kazane snapped out of her near-edge anxiety attack, shooting the demon a hearty glare.

"It's inevitable, you dick," She hissed, continuing despite the angry face Hiei was sporting. "Toguro has a personal stake with Yusuke, he killed Genkai. Hell, if I were in there I'd let my emotions take the reins. I did with his brother, and I won. If you were avenging someone you loved you'd act the same way."

Hiei's ruby gaze held her own cerulean, both Kurama and Kuwabara standing near with a loss for words, just trying to focus their attention on something else, namely the fight. Kazane stared him down, before Hiei finally broke off from their glaring match, his face unreadable.

"Regardless letting emotions rule your actions is a suicide sentence."

Kazane rolled her eyes. Bold words for someone who was a fire apparition, and arguably the most argumentative out of all of them. Seeking out Jin's energy in the stands she tried to quell the irritation coursing through her.

* * *

Watching Yusuke give his all during the first part of the fight made Kazane constantly want to smile, as well as tear her hair out from how insane the match was. If she thought the stadium had been destroyed before by Hiei's actions then she was well and truly proven wrong; both their attacks had completely blown apart the ring and most of the surrounding area.

He would win. Yu Yu Hakusho was long as shit for a reason; and fans would've probably rioted if Yusuke was killed off. Still, though.

Her own appearance here was an anomaly that had already shifted the course of plot. Even if she clung to her prior knowledge it wasn't a guarantee, and that was the source of her anxiety.

Koto's pessimistic referee comments definitely weren't helping in the slightest, nor the comments Kurama and Hiei were making.

Instead of bitching at her teammates into submission Kazane just stood silently, all of her focus trained on the match before her. She was well past the point of pretending to not give a shit, and the still-bleeding wound at her side wasn't doing much except exacerbating things. Normally she'd make some crack about how gross Toguro's shoulders looked all enlarged, like puffed up 80's shoulder pads, but she couldn't bring herself to.

Kazane watched as Yusuke broke the golden bindings around his wrists, feeling his familiar energy surging even more powerfully over her, and a flicker of hope stoked in her chest. If there was ever a time to ditch them then it was now.

"I gotta say that's a pretty sissy fashion statement, even for Urameshi, man," Kuwabara joked, and Kazane kicked harshly at his shin, eliciting a yelp from the boy.

"It's part of Genkai's training. Imagine you have fifty-pound weights strapped to your limbs while you train; it sucks at first but in the end it helps you build up your muscle, and once you take them off you're ripped to shreds. Except those cuffs are for building up your spirit energy."

"You mean to tell me Urameshi's been fightin' this whole tournament with a handicap?" Kuwabara yelped.

Even Kurama and Hiei were listening with interest now, and Kazane continued, staring out at where Yusuke looked to be concentrating deeply. "I wasn't there so I can only assume she told Yusuke to only remove them when absolutely necessary. I'd say this calls for absolutely necessary."

"Avitus!" Yusuke screamed, and as soon as the cuffs dissipated his familiar energy washed over her in waves, drowning the arena in blue light. Something akin to a phoenix manifested itself from the sheer force of it, flying a lap around the stadium, and if Kazane wasn't completely dumbstruck at seeing the sight before her own eyes she would have made a sarcastic remark about how flamboyant it was.

The fight resumed, and for all of Yusuke's usual brawler tactics Kazane found that his speed was impressive. Kuwabara yelled out, having a hard time keeping up with it, and it was only due to her own agility, her spars with Hiei, and the demon blood in her veins that allowed her to follow his movements.

Despite the win against the elder Toguro the internal chastising came once more, berating her for being so weak compared to her teammates. She needed to get it together.

Toguro's energy once again warped around his body, his muscles bulging disgustingly, and as his full power form appeared Kazane crossed her arms and brought a hand to her lips, trying to repress the trembling in her limbs as she chewed on her thumbnail. She really needed to figure out a way to remain composed in the wake of absolutely batshit energy. Once more unwilling participants in the stands succumbed to death from Toguro's power, and Kazane tried calling up her own energy in an effort to possibly combat it, letting out a frustrated yell as once again hardly anything came to the surface.

Hopefully Koenma's barrier would hold.

Toguro looked like some fucked up tree, all of his muscles protruding past the point of reason and his skin turning a pallid shade of grey-green. Even his clavicle and other bones near his neck were just standing up further than they should be. Gritting her teeth Kazane suppressed a gag as she took in the sight.

Toguro took every attack Yusuke aimed at him and then some, using barely more than a thumb to deflect most everything. She knew he would win, knew they would go home, but seeing it now, like this, made it so much more desolate. He was trying, that much was sure.

More bodies in the audience began screaming as the life was literally sucked out of them, all of their energy being herded into Toguro's body, and even from where she sat behind Koenma's barrier and with the demon blood in her veins Kazane could feel the call of death sing out to her from where she stood. The same void that mingled with her own energy. Trying to keep a straight face she grit her jaw, scooting even closer to Kuwabara and Kurama. Looking up into the stands she took note of the girls all standing safely under the barrier Puu had culminated, watching with worried eyes.

"_That's right Urameshi, kill Toguro!"_

"_We're behind you all the way, brother!"_

Well, the fans had certainly changed their tune.

"Yusuke!"

Keiko's absolutely bereaved voice echoed through the stadium, and Kazane turned her eye to where the girls were standing at the top of the stairs, Botan trying her best to comfort the girl.

What a situation to be in; your childhood best friend and love of your life ends up being the only one who can stop vicious superdemons and you get to sit back and watch as he got the shit kicked out of him. Not knowing if he'd live past that day, fervently hoping that he would.

Kazane wanted to be friends with Keiko, even though she had no idea how to go about that, but if by some miracle that happened, then she'd teach the girl how to defend herself. She'd probably never develop spirit energy, but that didn't mean some good kicks and punches would be for nothing.

Even Koto was having a hard time standing up to Toguro's aura, but it seemed Chu had it all under control as he erected a barrier of energy, and Kazane smirked. He was shameless.

The sight of Puu descending into the audience made Kazane tense up again, and against her better judgment she glanced over at Kuwabara. He stood completely beside himself with his emotions towards the match, brows fixed together in anger before rising up into sheer incredulity.

"Genkai's come back to life and she looks exactly like Puu!" He screeched.

"_The only thing you have to do is kill one of his friends, and make sure he's watching."_

She knew why Genkai had pushed for it; to stop Toguro Yusuke would have to really reach his full power, even if it meant sacrificing someone to do it. Still, hearing such callous words from the one she had grieved over for the past day made her so immeasurably angry she couldn't help but shake where she stood, nails once again digging into the soft flesh of her palm.

She knew, she knew, she knew, and still she fucking hated it.

As Toguro's eyes roamed over her team Kazane breathed deeply, letting her incisors make themselves known in some attempt to stifle the overwhelming emotion freezing her limbs. The miniscule eyes stayed attached to her body, and she let out a choke of shock as he pointed a finger in her direction.

"How about you, Kazane?"

No, no, no! Kuwabara was supposed to be picked; he was arguably Yusuke's best friend. He was supposed to get picked, get stabbed, and live.

And yet, she was Yusuke's surrogate sister. As much as she wanted to deny it, it made sense. Fuck, this was all so stupid!

"Urameshi does appear to be the most protective of you," Toguro continued, an amused grin on his grotesque face. "Let's see you bring out his hidden emotions. I'll make this quick."

There was panic rushing through her veins, and Kazane bit her lip before stepping forward from the rest of her team's congregation, even amidst Kuwabara's yells. She just had to have faith that the same thing that she could remember happening to Kuwabara would happen to her; a basic flesh wound, and she'd be fine. Still, her limbs shook.

Despite thinking that, standing in the wake of Toguro marching strongly forward towards her made her want to vomit repeatedly. Fear unlike anything she had encountered before swelled inside her chest, and she found herself counting each rapid beat of her heart.

Yusuke screamed, trying to land any punch on the demon he could, but to no avail. His desperate tactics only made Kazane more upset, and she found it hard to watch him punch the demon with no effect as he made his way towards her seemingly unperturbed. One punch to the chin was all it took to send Yusuke some feet away. She could hear Kurama and Hiei arguing behind her, and surprisingly it was Hiei making the more impassioned statements. Turning, she shot them a glare.

"Don't," She said, trying to maintain the confident facade she had worn so many times before during the tournament.

Hiei's stare caught her own, and in it she could see bloodlust, a thirst for rage. His whole body seemingly wanted to move against Toguro, and despite her wish to see him decimated by the fire demon she shook her head.

"You do know this is your fault, right?" Toguro goaded the spirit detective. "For living in a constant state of repression."

Immediately Kazane bristled, the wind around her picking up as she cupped both hands around her mouth.

"None of this is your fault Yusuke!" She screamed. "_None_ of this."

The two shared gazes for a few seconds, before Toguro palmed Yusuke's head into the dirt of the arena, creating a crater where he embedded it. There wasn't much spirit energy left in Kazane's reserves at all, but if she got angry enough then life energy wasn't out of the question.

Kurama had said she'd live longer than a human, and who knew how long that would really be?

"Stop and think, Kazane," Kurama called, reaching out a hand towards her but not making contact.

"I'll be fine," She interrupted, swallowing her anxiety and turning her lips up into a smile. "Really, I'll be fine. I've..." The few, next honest words died in her throat, and taking in the warmth Hiei gave off she stilled the tremble in her limbs. Hopefully it wouldn't be the last time. If she was going to sell this then she needed some parting words, right? Without really thinking about it she stole one last glance over at Hiei, his gaze absolutely enraged. "Thanks guys. For everything."

Stepping forward without much thought Kazane ignored whatever words her teammates yelled at her, only marching steadfast into the match area. Toguro ate up the distance between them, and it was only after a few feet away that he finally spoke, a soft grin on his harsh face.

"I know your impressive speed. You run, all of them die."

Kazane tilted her chin upwards, feeling nostalgic for situations barely months ago. It was a wonder her legs were holding up in this sort of pressure, and she glared straight into Toguro's eyes.

Even for someone as hefty as Toguro his speed was on par with Hiei's, her eyes barely able to keep up with the hand he jutted out towards her. She braced herself, trying to steel against the inevitable pain of fingernails embedded in her chest, as she had before with his brother.

A gust of heat and a shadow were all that she saw before an arm pushed her forcefully out of the way. It took barely a second to register what had happened, and she sat up from the dirt as Hiei folded over onto the arena floor, five pockmarked wounds showing from his chest.

They were deep, blood fountaining from them thick onto the ground, and as he toppled over Kazane felt bile in her throat. She screamed, racing forward and ignoring the rocks scraping against her clothing and skin, turning him over onto his back as she took inventory on his wounds.

This was not supposed to happen, not in the least. What the fuck, what the fuck?

Swallowing down her panic she looked over the gouges in his chest as Kurama knelt beside her, and between the two of them they moved him away from the middle of where the stadium once stood. Completely ignoring the mayhem going on between Yusuke and Toguro she looked at Kurama imploringly, tears beading up in her eyes.

"Toguro's wounds have cleared towards his heart..." Kurama said, looking uncomfortable as all hell. "Its not looking good, I'm afraid."

Pausing, Kazane gripped tight to Hiei's chest before turning to Kurama. "Life energy, that could do it, though? Right?" At Kurama's pause she desperately clung to his shirt with one hand. "Kurama, please! Would it?"

One solemn nod was all she needed, and she pressed her hands onto Hiei's chest, trying to ignore how much colder he was already compared to the time she had spent with him. He was supposed to burn. He was supposed to rage. He wasn't supposed to be so still.

Her hands completely encased in his blood Kazane put her all into him, unfiltered life energy pressing into Hiei's motionless body, seemingly of their own accord. She could understand why Genkai never formally taught her this because it felt like hell; it felt like every semblance of consciousness was being forcefully sucked out of her body towards wherever she deemed. Despite the lack of training her body instinctually seemed to know what to do, and she was sure her life energy was swathed in desperation, much like Kurama's had been earlier.

On Hiei's end it seemed he was faring the same, for the second Kazane's energy touched his he opened his eyes and began screaming loudly, his arms and legs wildly careening for some sort of stability. Despite how uncannily similar her energy and the energy from the Dragon was there was no doubt it would feel like death being forced into your soul, or brain, or whatever. Still, despite the wailing Hiei initiated Kazane continued, tears running down her face as she pressed everything she could into him.

"Come on, Hiei," She sputtered, droplets falling onto his stupid chest. "You moron, I had it. It would've been _fine_. I can't..." Clearing her throat she lowered her lips closer to his ear. "I can't do this without you, please."

Her words seemed to have some effect, for the thrashing Hiei exhibited stopped, but his eyes remained frantic, and she keeled over against him, her forehead pressing on his chest. This was all her fault, and she needed to make this right, make sure he lived. Even if she gave up half of her life to do it, it was _her fault._

"He's alive," Kurama said, relief apparent in his voice, and though it seemed a million miles away Kazane looked up in shock. "He's stable."

Hardly daring to believe her own ears she turned her head, and true to Kurama's words Hiei's eyes were closed, his breaths coming gently. The wounds on his chest were already beginning to heal. Kuwabara came forward, helping Kazane to her feet as the four of them retreated back closer to the wall of the stands. She sat harshly on the ground, ignoring Kuwabara's voice as she scooted closer to Hiei's prone form, and ignoring the pair of eyes on her she rest a hand on his forehead.

She was such an idiot. If she wasn't here then Hiei wouldn't have decided to be a martyr, and Kuwabara would be merely pretending to be dead. She should've been the one to take the blow, and now instead Hiei was wounded, again. He had almost died, and for what? Her?

If Toguro really wasn't aiming to do more than make it look like one of Yusuke's companions had died then she would've been fine taking that blow. Hiei intervening had fucked that all up.

Everything was a goddamn mess.

"I'm sorry," Kazane whispered, wiping away at the tears stubbornly reappearing once more.

* * *

**Note:**

***Staind voice: It's been a while.* For real though, it has been a minute since I've updated and I am so sorry. Life's been crazy lately, but rest assured the next chapter is already written, I'm just obsessively editing over it.**

**This is another little tidbit I've been planning on since I started plotting out this fic: Hiei intervening between Toguro and Kazane. This is...kind of important for later.**

**Also, if it feels like I'm glossing over Kuwabara and pushing him off to the sidelines, I'm sorry. There will be lots of moments with him in future chapters, and we'll get to see a small moment highlighting his improvement in the next one. **

**My whole heart to xenocanaan, Damaged Forest Spirit, Vienna22, rsaenz18, xCutePoison, Mediocre Dunces, and Zayren Heart for the reviews. Y'all are too sweet to little old me.**

**Title credit goes to Lead Sails (And a Paper Anchor) by Atreyu.**


	19. First Love Late Spring

The ugly stadium that Kazane hated so much was left on its last legs, more of it obliterated than standing. Debris was everywhere, and most of the audience was either dead or had tried to run, only a handful of bodies left in the stands.

She watched with bated breath as Yusuke rose from the ground, the mummified remains of Toguro spread out a few feet before him. Despite the trembling in his legs he stood, sending Juri a look as she took in his battered up appearance.

"He did it!" Koenma called enthusiastically, and Kazane felt relief flood her lungs as she inhaled.

"We are free," Kurama added.

"I knew Urameshi could do it!" Kuwabara roared, pumping a fist into the air. "That's our guy!"

Kazane impatiently waited for Koto to leap into the area where the ring once stood, both her and Juri raising a hand to give the final call.

"Winner of the Tournament! Team Urameshi!"

The crowd erupted in cheers, and immediately Kazane bolted forward from her place at Hiei's side, ignoring the muscles screaming in her body as she ran as fast as she could toward Yusuke.

Her approach seemed to take him completely off guard, and as she wrapped her arms around him his eyes widened in surprise before dimming once more. He barely reciprocated the hug, and Kazane could feel him shake slightly under her grip.

"I'm sorry," He whispered, a forlorn expression on his face. "Hiei...I'm sorry."

Stepping back she spread a grin across her face, flicking Yusuke in the forehead lightly.

"Hiei's alright. He's not dead, Yusuke." She paused, letting the words sink in and his face grow dumbstruck. "And there's nothing to be sorry about."

"But, how...?"

Casting her gaze to the side Kazane shrugged, the smile on her face fading slightly. As down on himself as he was feeling right now, the fact that she had used her own life to save Hiei's probably wouldn't make him feel any better in the slightest. Better keep that to herself. He'd find out later, probably.

"We got lucky, I guess."

Instead of any type of response Yusuke bowled over onto her, and she yelled out protests before slinging him over her shoulder. Well, if anything he deserved some rest after the shit he'd been through. Kurama, Kuwabara, and Koenma all hurried out onto the field, the ginger thug halting right before Yusuke and giving him a slap on the back. Kazane almost fell over at the motion.

"No sleepin' just yet, you punk! We won!"

"That's right," Kurama spoke softly, a smile on his lips. "Thanks to you we can all go home now."

There was a pause before Yusuke grimaced, his grip on Kazane's shoulders tightening.

"If I wasn't so dumb, none of this would've happened. You could be dead right now, you know?" He yelled, his voice rising as he looked over at her. "And you just walked out onto the stupid field like it was nothing!"

Feeling all pairs of eyes on her Kazane stiffened, casting her gaze away from everyone.

"It was nothing," She replied softly, a bitter taste in her mouth.

Even if she had faith Toguro wouldn't have actually killed her, she had been through that sort of thing once before. His hands jutting through to her heart would've sucked, and been a little painful, sure. But it had nothing on the way she'd gone in her previous life.

Maybe her death would have returned everything to the way it was supposed to be before she came along.

Yusuke angrily grumbled, releasing himself from her support and gripping at the collar of her shirt. There was frustration behind his eyes, and Kazane simply stood before him. He wouldn't hit her, at least, she didn't think so. There were no words coming up to explain herself; now was not the time and with Koenma there definitely not the company. Instead she opted for silence.

"May I put in my two cents?"

Sakyo's black-clad form approached the congregation, and Yusuke's grip lessened on Kazane's collar.

"Had your boyfriend not intervened Toguro would have likely missed your vital points. His poker face was famous. In the greatest moment, facing the greatest opponent, he was able to face a great end. It's the dream of every true competitor."

Harshly shoving away Yusuke's hand Kazane blushed furiously, sending Sakyo a withering glare. "He's not my boyfriend you greasy fuck."

He huffed in amusement before continuing, his eyes landing on another body. "Speaking of, Koenma, it's time for us to settle our own great bet. I see my weak point was not knowing the truth of what Toguro was thinking. It's been a most enjoyable game."

Rolling her eyes Kazane wondered how in the hell Shizuru actually fell for a slimeball like him. She could likely pummel him with little effort. Hadn't he tortured animals when he was young or something?

"Bet's off," Koenma replied easily. "You've lost your fortune. You're no threat to me now."

"But where is the thrill in gambling if you know you can get out of all your debts? Don't worry, I'll take care of it myself."

She stiffened at the sight of a remote in his hand, an ominous red button showing in the center. God, she had been so swept up with relief about everything she forgot it wasn't actually over.

As soon as his thumb pressed the button the entire stadium began to groan and shake, cracks spiderwebbing throughout the supports of the stands. Chunks of rock began raining down, and Kazane looked up at to where Jin was standing upright, speaking rapidly to the other three in his group.

"_Stadium detonation now commencing. Fifteen minutes."_

This whole situation was less than stellar. Both Kazane and Kurama had barely a drop of energy left in their bodies, and Hiei was well and truly out of it. The look of exhaustion on Yusuke's face revealed how rough the match between him and Toguro had really been. None of them were in a good position to deal with this, save for Kuwabara.

"_Stadium detonation...fourteen minutes..."_

The crowd began a mass panic towards the exits, and Kazane turned her gaze towards her companions.

"I don't know about you guys but I didn't fight this whole damned tournament to be crushed under some rubble."

Sakyo stood as still as stone, his hands nestled in his pants pockets. Either he really did have the most remarkable poker face of all time, or he just really didn't care for his own wellbeing.

"This stadium will be turned into ruins, taking me and my ambitions along for the ride."

"Then stand there and die," She snarled harshly, breaking off from the others at a sprint towards Hiei's prone form.

The fire demon was still completely passed out, although thankfully the gaping wounds earlier were now just angry, pink marks. Trying not to think about the cost of that little miracle too much Kazane hefted Hiei onto her back, quickly rejoining the rest of the group. Even Kurama's face was one of stunned shock. Staggering under Hiei's weight she cursed herself, nudging Kuwabara with an elbow.

"I'm too exhausted. Please Kuwabara."

She knew the last thing on Earth the ginger thug wanted to do was carry Hiei on his person in any form, but instead of babbling, animated protests like she had been expecting, Kuwabara simply nodded and hitched the raven-haired man on his back, his gaze unusually steeled.

"_Stadium detonation...thirteen minutes..."_

In the stands above the girls were dealing with their own dilemma, and Koenma deftly directed the team towards assisting them.

"Yusuke, can you help the girls?"

"Yeah, naturally. What are you gonna do?"

Koenma's brown eyes were narrowed, and even with the ridiculous pacifier in his mouth his expression was sharp.

"I still have a little business to settle with Sakyo. Don't get killed."

With that the prince ran off, his red scarf/cape thing undulating gently behind him, and Kazane followed the rest of her team up towards the top of the stadium. Even without much energy left in her veins she could still kick and punch the throngs of audience-goers out of her way at least.

"Yukina's in trouble!"

Kuwabara's gruff voice caught her attention, and barely a few feet away she saw Botan and Yukina on either side of Keiko, still determinedly trying to coax her back to reality. The area around them was an absolute mess, giant chunks of rubble coming down unceasingly. Despite the frantic tone in his voice Kuwabara barreled through the demons before him like they were nothing, Hiei still asleep on his back.

"He's...parted the demon sea," Yusuke joked weakly.

"Well, we might as well follow his path," Kurama offered, and the three of them made their way towards the girls.

She watched as Kuwabara enthusiastically greeted Yukina, the ice apparition calling out to him in worry for Keiko. The wall to her left began to crack, and Kazane's throat clenched as she realized there was no way she could possibly make it in time. Her energy was essentially gone, and though she had used life energy once already it wasn't something that she was keen to delve into again. Using it earlier had been draining enough.

To her surprise Kuwabara moved at faster speeds than she could've imagined, clutching Yukina in his arms on the other side of the now-collapsed rock.

If Hiei had been awake to see Kuwabara save his sister, then Kazane had no doubt that he'd be surprised and impressed, though he'd begrudgingly admit it, and definitely not aloud. If he knew that the thug had thrown Hiei off his back behind him in his mad dash for Yukina's rescue, however, he'd probably be thoroughly irritated. Sighing softly to herself Kazane hefted Hiei onto her back once more, gritting her teeth at her muscles protesting against the weight.

Kuwabara opened his mouth, shooting Kazane a baleful look, but the voice expelling from the intercoms interrupted him.

"_Stadium detonation...five minutes."_

"This isn't a good place for a party, guys," Yusuke called out jokingly, catching the attention of Botan.

"Yusuke! Keiko's not well." The grim reaper's magenta eyes were filled with worry.

Immediately he withdrew from Kurama's support and marched over to Keiko's limp form, crouching down and trying to gently coax her out of her stupor with soft words. The act lasted all of two seconds before Yusuke grabbed her by her shirt, shaking her back and forth. When that didn't work he began slapping her across the face, and if Kazane wasn't so determined to support Hiei she'd pull the brat back by his hair to stop.

Yeah, kind of necessary, but also wildly excessive.

The sight of Keiko harshly returning the favor and knocking him to the ground was almost enough to make up for it.

Red alarms began flashing, and the entourage quickly moved into the hallways, Kazane lagging behind the others. Her breaths were becoming more labored, and she felt the burn in her muscles as she tried to move quickly. No spirit energy left, and she was exhausted. What a pain in the ass.

"Kaz!"

She turned at the familiar voice, and Jin's worried face appeared before her, followed swiftly by Toya. It seemed Chu and Rinku had made their own plan of escape.

"What're ye doin' here? We need to go!"

The effort of trying to push her muscles past their limits was making the wound on her side reopen, and Kazane hissed, gripping tighter to Hiei's thighs. She really wished he'd wake up soon, it'd make everything easier. She was at the end of her rope.

"I'm _trying_!"

Jin's eyes roved over the two of them, his jaw clenched tight. It seemed as though he was facing some inner turmoil, but after a moment he finally relaxed his fists and bent down slightly, a grimace on his face.

"Give him here."

Kazane hesitated, caught off guard by her brother's gesture, but she passed Hiei onto his back quickly. Toya kindly offered his own shoulder, and she leaned most of her weight on it, trying not to think back to Jin telling her that he'd punched Toya for less. Maybe he'd be merciful in a life-or-death situation.

The four quickly caught up to the others, now paused before a tower of rubble blocking the path out.

As Yusuke cursed Jin handed Hiei off to Kuwabara once more before winding a punch, gusts of air whipping around his arm. Despite the dangerous situation Kazane wanted to laugh at how Hiei was being passed around the group like a game of hot potato. Debris blew around them as Jin's blow landed, blasting the detour apart dramatically.

"The wind master really comes through, huh!" Yusuke cheered, sending the redhead a wan grin.

"_Stadium detonation...thirty seconds."_

"This here'd be a good place not to be," Jin responded, and immediately the entourage continued down the collapsing hallway. Every footfall was making the pain in Kazane's side worse, but Toya took the extra weight she leaned onto him easily.

As the doorway came into view a chunk of rock caught on her foot, and she hissed out obscenities as she fell to the ground, almost taking the ice apparition to the floor with her. Immediately Jin backtracked, easily picking her up and speeding out of the stadium, Toya in tow.

The sound of the entire structure collapsing made her turn, and as the rest of the group caught up with them all eyes looked at the cascading stone and metal, the force of the collapse causing the hair to blow back from her face. Kuwabara let out a cheer as Shizuru, Koenma, and Jorge came into view.

"Now that's an action-hero exit!"

As the commotion died down and beams of sunlight cast over everything Kazane breathed out a deep sigh, squeezing her eyes shut. Finally, a small moment of quiet.

"It's over."

"Yeah," Yusuke breathed. "It finally is."

The whole ordeal had been one of the most exhausting experiences she had ever encountered, and especially now that it was apparent everyone was safe Kazane could feel just how absolutely spent she was, physically and mentally. Her eyes drifted closed, too heavy to keep open, and the sound of the others talking faded off as sleep took hold.

* * *

The sight of the hotel's ceiling greeted her as she opened her eyes, and immediately she bolted upright, regretting it instantly as lightheadedness awashed her. Hadn't she just internally berated Hiei for doing the same a few hours ago?

Looking around revealed that she was lying on one of the couches in the living room area, her teammates lounging around the space. Yusuke was staring out the window, his bag slung over his shoulder. Hiei was standing off to the side, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Their eyes met for a brief second before Kazane felt a flush rise to her cheeks, and she quickly looked away as Kurama knelt down beside her.

"You're awake, that's a relief."

Groaning Kazane ran a hand through her hair, grimacing at its unkempt state. "Awake and still thoroughly exhausted. And starving. I take it we're leaving soon?"

Kurama nodded. "The girls took a walk on the beach, we're just waiting for them to return. I believe Botan also invited Jin as well. There's still food in the kitchen if you feel up for it."

Her brother and Botan taking a walk on the beach? Huh.

Humming appreciatively she stood, glancing down at the still-bandaged wound on her side. A quick peek under the dressing revealed that it was now healing decently, probably aided by her passing the fuck out after the last events.

Padding softly into the kitchen she grabbed a handful of fruit before leaning against the breakfast bar, glancing over at where Yusuke stared out at the water like some war vet.

The girls had made Genkai a little memorial stone, right? Something nice to send her off with. Regret settled in her chest as she lamented being asleep for so long.

"That's all the quiet staring I can handle," Yusuke quipped, turning back towards the others. "Let's get out of here, okay?"

Kuwabara muttered in agreement, but none of them made to move.

This whole situation was stupid; Kazane didn't want to linger any more on this island or on thoughts of Genkai. She wanted to get home as fast as possible. A shower sounded so nice at the moment she could quite literally orgasm, and there was still some beer at the temple. Genkai's favorite sake was surely still there.

She just didn't want to think about everything anymore. Not for a while, anyway.

"After all this time it's gonna feel weird not fearing for my life," Yusuke said softly, his grip on his bag tightening.

"Don't sweat it Urameshi, I can beat you up at school every day if that makes you feel better."

Kurama chuckled. "Yusuke's right, normal life for us all will seem pale for a while."

Kazane remained quiet, chucking an apple core into the trash with more force than necessary. She wouldn't be going back to normal life, she was going back to an empty temple too big for just one person.

A flapping, exuberant Puu appeared before the open window, and Yusuke reached out for him eagerly, the little guy nibbling on his fingers. As Yusuke began demanding that he speak to Genkai through Puu Kazane grabbed her pack and headed into the bathroom, ignoring Kuwabara's concerned look.

She stripped off the bloodstained and ripped clothes, tossing them into the wastebasket before donning a different set. Walking around looking like a psychotic killer wasn't really much of a fashion statement, and the blood soaked into the fabric was just reminding her of the past day.

Taking a deep breath she looked at her reflection in the mirror, using a small amount of water to matt down her bedhead. She'd definitely seen better days. The dark circles were still there, as prominent as ever. A heaviness settled in her chest, and she resisted the urge to punch the mirror before her with full force.

Hiei nearly died because of her, not to mention the Ichigaki boys had _actually_ died because of her. She had been too chickenshit to stop Genkai's death, and despite her attempts to comfort him Yusuke was as beguiled with grief as ever. That, and he was probably still mad at her for actually facing Toguro head on. She sighed deeply.

What a shitshow.

The sound of the front door slamming broke her reverie, and Kazane quickly made her way out back into the living room area, pausing as she noted that Yusuke was gone, the others staring after him despondently.

"He's so neck deep in repression even I feel sorry for him," Hiei said, breaking away from the wall.

Clearing her throat Kazane crossed her arms. "It's not easy for him. Or me," She admitted, shrinking under the stare of her teammates. "But all you can do is keep going, you know? A day at a time."

Once a day, one step forward. Again and again.

A hand on her shoulder caused her to jump, and she looked up to see Kuwabara giving her a reassuring smile, albeit a small one. Patting his hand gently Kazane cleared her throat once more before hefting her pack higher up.

"Anyway, this mood is unbelievably grim. I want a shower, some good food, and peace and quiet, so let's get going."

The weather outside was clear and bright, same as the first day they had arrived on the island. It was nice to finally be done with everything. Maybe she'd become a recluse until Yusuke needed her help next. Summer was on its way; the lightning bugs would return to the temple grounds soon, too. They were nice to look at from the rooftop.

After acquiring the tickets at the counter the five of them sat down in the cafe area, and Kazane merely fiddled with her coffee cup. Everything that happened really evaporated her hunger or thirst.

"Jeez, what's taking these girls so long? We're gonna get left." Kuwabara complained.

"Not everyone packed just one set of clothes," Kurama joked, and Kazane didn't miss the way his emerald orbs looked over at her in amusement.

She rolled her eyes in response as Kuwabara continued complaining. "It's just like family vacation. My dumb sister's always makin' us late, probably pluckin' her mustache."

Shizuru appeared like a wraith out of nowhere, and all bodies seated at the table jumped, save for Hiei.

"Should I tell them about your fluffy doll?" She hissed menacingly.

Ignoring Kuwabara's babbling Kazane looked up in surprise at where Jin stood, carrying all the girls' bags with a beaming grin on his face.

"Aye, Kaz! Finally up and about, are ye?"

She raised a brow at the bags in his arms as she rose from her seat.

"You've certainly made friends. Where's Toya?"

"Back towards demon world now, I reckon."

Kazane said nothing, just stared even longer, silently imploring him to continue. A pink flush rose up his face and he began babbling animatedly.

"Well, rightly put it was all Botan's idea, and what a smart lass she is! Like a bluebird, so I say! You've made such good friends, Kaz, I'm so proud of ye-"

"Okay, wait," Kazane interrupted, closing her eyes in exasperation. "What the hell are you talking about?"

All attention was on the both of them now, and Botan immediately leapt forward, a grin on her face.

"Oh, Kazane, I haven't told you yet! Silly me. Once we get off the boat we'll be heading to the temple with you! And Yusuke, too!"

"Hey now!" The greaser interrupted. "Whatever plan you have don't lump me into it."

Kazane stuttered in bewilderment, looking between Jin and Botan's excited faces. From behind the grim reaper both Yukina and Shizuru were looking back with small smiles. Yusuke raised his palms in the air as she rounded on him, giving the universal sign for 'not me'.

"Really, Botan, you don't have to do that," She began.

"Nonsense! It's tradition to celebrate after such a grand win. Besides, Kurama and Hiei will come, right?"

Magenta eyes turned towards the two demons, and Hiei simply stared before shrugging, his own eyes flickering over towards Kazane for a brief second. Kurama smiled politely.

"Far be it for me to stand in the way of tradition."

Everything was out of control.

Kazane watched with reluctant acceptance as Botan clapped her hands together, beaming at the rag tag band of misfits before her. She had been banking on heading back to the temple alone, and now instead of enjoying some peace and solitude she would have to deal with an exuberant party, if Botan's attitude was anything to go off of.

Still, it was a nice gesture. Even if Botan wasn't saying what her real reasons were for getting everyone together.

A warmth spread in Kazane's chest as she followed the group out of the building and back into the sunlight.

* * *

"You know, I'm actually gonna miss this stupid place," Yusuke said, the group pausing on the grass to stare out at the water.

"Feels like we've been here for years," Kuwabara agreed.

"Losing someone-"

"Yeah, it's pretty but it's got nothing on the temple," Kazane interrupted loudly, Botan's eyes widening at her outburst. "I mean have you guys _seen_ the night sky in summertime? It's a dream."

Kuwabara crouched down to Botan's level, whispering something in her ear.

The shrill of a horn broke the moment, and despite the heaviness Kazane felt she nudged Yusuke harshly, the boy responding with an outlandishly strong nudge of his own. The sight of a boat making its way towards them seemed like a watercolor painting, too gorgeous for reality. Finally, she'd be off this island.

"Back to skipping detention," Yusuke quipped, the others following suit.

"Video games," Kuwabara pined.

"My human mother."

"Various crimes..."

Normally the boys' words would have elicited some type of response from Kazane, but as she pondered what the hell she was going back to a lump formed in her throat. What use was training if Genkai wasn't there? What use was going back to her life if the one person she wholeheartedly spent it with was gone? The one person who knew her secrets and still kept her close?

Yusuke took in her crestfallen expression before speaking, giving her a final, much softer nudge with his elbow. His brown eyes held something behind them. Understanding, grief, sympathy? She didn't know. Still, it made her feel just a little bit better, as well as his next words.

"Alright, let's go home."

A soft sigh expelled from Kazane's lips as she hefted her pack higher up on her shoulders, trying to repaint the stoic face she'd seemingly perfected at the tournament. The sight of the boat cutting through the water was nice, and it was amazing to be finally freed from an overwhelming burden, even if it was one she had put herself in.

**Protect her boys.**

She'd done the best she could, and maybe that was all there was to it. There was no doubt lasting trauma done to nearly every member of her party, but Kazane thought she'd held up her internal promise well. They were all alive, at least. And sporting million-watt grins.

"_Well excuse me if I'm insulted."_

The sound of a familiar voice caused Kazane's stomach to drop, and both her and Yusuke turned their heads at the same time, trying to catch sight of the person speaking.

"Hold on a sec..."

The figure was small, even by Kazane's standards, and approached from the treeline with both grace and bitterness in her gait. Taking in the clothes she almost couldn't believe her eyes, and she blinked in succession as the figure stopped to a halt, bubblegum hair blowing slightly in the breeze. The sound of the incoming ship's horn was a million miles away.

"You just gonna leave this old fossil behind?"

Botan was the first to react, darting forward at a mad sprint towards the old psychic. Kuwabara swiftly followed suit, as well as the rest of the group. Yusuke and Kazane stood side by side, their limbs not moving as shock compounded on them.

"Must've rubbed off on me, dimwit," Genkai hissed, winking at Yusuke. "I died like you; half-assed."

"Genkai...Genkai! Come here you beautiful hag!"

Kazane stayed rooted in place, half-heartedly waving away tendrils of hair from her line of vision, trying to soak up the sight of all of her loved ones together around the one guardian that ever gave a shit.

She'd have to thank Koenma at some point, that sweet, immature prince.

"Well, surprised to see an old crone brought back from the dead?" Genkai asked sarcastically, walking towards Kazane. Her words were subtle but effective; beady teak eyes seemed to glimmer with amusement.

The redhead repressed a hysterical laugh, using every ounce of self control to simply break the distance between the two. She'd never realized how much taller she had grown from when she arrived on the psychic's doorstep; then barely the same height, now a little over a foot taller. Not much, but still enough to warrant some surprise.

The two stood inches away from each other, and Kazane stilled the tremble in her limbs, resisting the urge to slap Genkai across the face like the old woman had done before in worry. Instead, she merely dropped to her knees, wrapping her tight in her arms, and buried her head in the crimson fabric of her clothing. Genkai's familiar scent, old earth and incense, invaded her nose, and she found it hard to stifle the tears building up.

"I'm still mad at you, but my god, you just don't give up do you?" Kazane choked out, and at her words Genkai chuckled.

"Seems we're two of a kind."

"Welcome to the club," Kazane replied softly, closing her eyes as a gnarled hand came up to rest on her crown.

* * *

"Your knife work is incredible, Kazane."

The redhead glowed under Yukina's praise, a flush rising to her ears as she sliced through the vegetables on the cutting board. At the stovetop lamb simmered in a large cast iron pan, surrounded by browning chiles and peppers. The trip into the small, nearby town was short, but when the two girls returned Kazane had nearly dropped the groceries in shock.

Botan seemed to have gone the extra mile; the usual fire on the grounds was lit, but adorning the foliage around them were christmas lights, glowing dimly in the evening and entwined with streamers. Where the hell she had gotten those, Kazane would never know since she hadn't accompanied them into town. Someone (Yusuke, no doubt) had retrieved a prehistoric boombox from the temple, and Kuwabara was dancing like a dork before the others, a wide grin on his face. Even Genkai was watching fondly from where she sat on the deck, a cup of sake in one hand.

The sight made her pause at the temple steps, taking in the faces of everyone around her. It was something she never thought she'd see; everyone alive after the tournament, enjoying a night without the looming fear of death.

Now she was in the kitchen with Yukina, preparing dinner for the entire party and sharing more tranquil company with the sweet girl. Botan protested at Kazane fixing dinner for all of them, but at the sight of Yusuke and Kuwabara's downcast faces she relented.

"Nah, I've just had a lot of practice," Kazane responded, waving a hand. "Your rice balls look amazing."

Yukina blushed before grabbing the plate. "I'll bring these out to everyone."

Kazane watched the other girl depart, a small smile on her face. Yukina was truly too sweet for words, giggling every time the redhead said something even vaguely humorous or crude at the store. She had made an effort to not be such a heathen, and still words came forth before she could help it. The very fact that the ice apparition offered to go with her into town was surprising.

She hadn't realized how much tension had accumulated in her body at the tournament until she was back home, and she rolled her shoulders, feeling as if she had been freed from an insane weight. Everything was okay; Genkai was back, her boys were still happy and whole, and things could return to some semblance of normal. For now, maybe.

Turning to the fridge she opened it, grabbing one of the chilled bottles of beer. Popping the top off and taking a small sip she returned to the vegetables, looking out the window before her at the twilight sky. Even if she had been reluctant to go along with Botan's attempt to raise spirits, or create a cathartic environment, or whatever the hell, it had actually turned out not too badly.

A ruffle of clothing caused her to startle, and Kazane cursed as she looked down to see the razor sharp knife had accidentally sliced into the pad of her finger, blood already beading to the surface.

Hiei stood in the kitchen, his eyes appraising as she wrapped a washcloth around her new wound. Any scathing insult or witty retort died in her throat as he stepped closer, his cloak undulating at the movement. He seemed content to let the silence steep, and Kazane swallowed thickly. She was quickly made aware of how short she truly was, Hiei seeming to tower over her. Maybe she needed to invest in heels or something. He wasn't even _that_ much taller, his aura just-

"Thank you."

This wasn't some fever dream, was it? Perhaps she had died on the tournament field and this was some alternate reality her mind had created in lieu of nothingness. Of all the things she imagined Hiei saying, 'thank you' was definitely towards the bottom. What the fuck was happening?

Hiei didn't seem perturbed by her silence, merely stepping once again closer. Resisting the urge to tug at her shirt collar Kazane simply stared wide-eyed. The kitchen definitely seemed too warm now, and the oven wasn't even on.

"Kurama informed me of what happened." Hiei continued.

Breaking off from his intense gaze Kazane hastily threw the portion of veggies tainted by her blood into the trash can before turning off the burner where the lamb sizzled. This was entirely unexpected, and definitely not something she wanted to discuss aloud. The previous contended mood was now utterly shattered. What she wouldn't give to turn back time and share lighthearted compliments with Yukina.

"Yeah well," She began, clearing her throat awkwardly. "You're the one who pushed me out of the way of Toguro, so."

There was a beat of silence before Hiei spoke. "Why?"

"I'm sorry?" Kazane asked, washing off the blade of the knife in the sink and trying to still the shaking in her limbs.

"Why did you resurrect me?" Another step closer to her. "I want to hear you say it."

The demoness felt like her heart was in her throat, and despite the deep breaths she took she could feel her nervousness taking over. She tried to push down the feeling, but with Hiei's close proximity it bubbled to the surface regardless.

"It was the right thing to do," She offered weakly, and at this Hiei huffed derisively.

He crossed the last spread of distance between them, now barely an inch or two away. The edge of the counter pressed against Kazane's back harshly, and she grimaced at her current predicament.

"No," Hiei began, his voice firm. "I want you to say it. No more running away, no more avoidance."

Usually it was Kurama who called her out on her bullshit, not Hiei. And yet somehow, the words coming from his mouth cut deeper than the fox demon's cunning observations. Shame and irritation flickered in her, and Kazane's gaze sharpened into a glare.

"Say what? That you were dying and I wasn't about to let one of our strongest fighters-"

"I can hear it, you know."

Hiei's soft words cut off the rest of her scathing retort, and she blinked in surprise, silently beckoning him to continue.

"Even now, I can hear it. The uptick in your heart rate."

Kazane felt as though all of the air had violently escaped her lungs, and she took in the frantic rate of her heart, jackhammering away in her chest. It felt like a betrayal, but even if she wanted to use calming techniques to try and slow it he had already heard how fast it was beating.

This was too much. Hiei was supposed to brood silently alongside her, providing solemn company when sleep was elusive. He was supposed to loiter in the shadows, making her uncomfortable with his presence as she did whatever the hell she was doing. They were supposed to go back to their usual routine, not...whatever this was.

"What do you want, Kazane?" Hiei asked, his ruby eyes piercing as he looked over her panicked expression. "A protector?"

Anger once again blew away the anxiety she felt, and Kazane flashed her incisors.

"No, of course not. I don't need anyone to protect me," She began, her emotions getting the better of her. "I'm capable. If anything I want a partner, an-"

Cutting herself off in shock she squeezed her eyes shut. What the fuck was she talking about? She had no idea what she wanted, even after nearly two decades in her new life. More than anything, she just wanted to make sure her loved ones were safe. That was her tournament goal, and her goal for however long she was stuck in this reality.

The idea of her saying she wanted an equal, when Hiei was looking at her like that, when she had seen the sheer destructive force of his power, made her want to laugh. The whole situation was bizarre, but after seeing her teammates ascend to higher levels the idea of her and Hiei being equals, being _partners_, was utterly ridiculous.

She didn't belong here in the first place. What business was it of hers to get involved with someone like him?

A familiar warmth invaded her space, and a single curled finger raised the point of her chin. Meeting Hiei's eyes Kazane stuttered eloquently. Her energy had recovered to the point where if she wanted to she realistically could have bolted straight out of the room, but still she stood rooted in place. Her limbs were betraying her, even as her brain screamed to run away from the events happening.

"Fleeing from your problems won't help with that." His words were almost too soft to hear, and if she hadn't seen his lips move would've sworn it was the wind.

Against her better wishes her stupid word-vomit came forth before she could stop it.

"Why did you do it?"

She didn't need to clarify; Hiei knew what she was referring to, his eyes continuing to look over her expression with understanding. The distance between the two was quickly lessening, and Kazane found herself pressing a hand against his chest. Not pushing away, but entwining in the fabric of his shirt. Her whole body felt like it was on fire, and it definitely wasn't from the heat Hiei exuded. It was a familiar feeling, even if she had felt it another lifetime ago, and despite the alarm bells going off in her head she leaned in closer to him, away from the counter, the scent of evergreen and char nearly overwhelming. Her resolve was utterly broken, and she looked up into Hiei's eyes as his hand moved to grasp her chin.

They were centimeters away when the sound of a door slamming caused Kazane to jump, and much to her horror Jin stood in the kitchen, the promise of death in his eyes as he glared at Hiei.

The fire demon stepped back, reciprocating easily, and Kazane immediately darted in between the two men.

"Jin, please-"

"I told ye, that I did. She's my sister, ye bastard!"

This was probably the worst situation she could've ever imagined, and as Kazane laid her palms against Jin's chest and held him back Hiei disappeared with a flicker, only a brief shadow remaining where he once stood.

"Jin, stop!" She yelled. "It's...it was...consensual."

Voicing it aloud brought her the realization that even though her first instinct was to run away from the damned feelings crawling up her spine, she had willingly given herself in to the urge, even been somewhat (in the background) disappointed at an interruption. She'd think that over later, tuck it away for now. Preventing her brother from going on a furious tirade and destroying the temple was definitely first priority.

Jin's matching eyes widened, but the expression of rage was still plain on his face, and Kazane bit her lip. Much to her surprise he began pulling up on the sleeves of her shirt roughly, then looking over the skin around her neck, and she batted his hands away.

"I swear if he marked ye and that's why yer doing this I'll-"

"No, what? What the fuck are you talking about? Jin...you saw from the stands. You saw what happened." She continued even as he looked away. "I..."

Taking several deep breaths the tremble in Jin's limbs relaxed, and his eyes landed on the small gash on her finger.

"He do that?"

"No," Kazane replied quickly. "No, that was me being an idiot. I promise."

The sight of her brother not babbling away excitedly as she was used to or even saying gibberish in his ridiculous accent made her tense, and realization compounded as she dropped her hands to her sides.

"That's what you were fighting about in the hotel," She breathed. "You knew."

Stiff, but gentle hands took hold of her shoulders, and Kazane looked up into Jin's face. It seemed pleading, seeking confirmation, but his brows were knit with worry.

"Kaz...I've gotta know, will this make ye happy?"

Her brain rocketed at a million miles an hour as she took in his words. Would this make her happy? What? Admitting she had wanted to kiss Hiei? That she liked his warmth? That she liked his aloof demeanor even when he acted like a dick-

Huffing in frustration she brought a hand to her temple, massaging lightly. What a fucking night. The day after the tournament was supposed to be stress-free; what the hell was all this?

"I don't know," She admitted stiffly, biting her lip and looking towards the window. "I just know he's not as awful as people paint him to be."

Hiei had sat with her one sleepless night and let her vent to her heart's content, even offering an outlet for her frustration, albeit an unconventional one. He reassured her during her aftermath of the trauma due to the Ichigaki match. He intervened at the pool, perceiving Toya to be a threat against her. And again, he stood in place of her against Toguro, in a situation where it seemed evident she was about to face her own execution.

Ah, shit.

Jin crossed his arms, his whole body seeming to deflate as he sighed. "Kaz...the lad's got a reputation for a reason..."

"I know," Kazane snapped, regretting it instantly. The look in her eyes must have held the truth, however, as Jin swallowed down whatever retort he had planned as he looked up at her.

She felt like she was being backed into a corner on all fronts, and she hated it. This was too much to deal with. Trying to come up with a good plan of attack? Yeah, she could do that, no sweat. Trying to maim her opponent even with wounds bleeding out before her? Piece of cake. This?

She turned back towards the stovetop, the lamb now a little too cold for her liking. Still, she began slicing it up and divvying it onto plates. It was a savory, gamey piece of meat, accented by the chillis and peppers added into the pan. If her nerves weren't so frazzled she'd add more dishes to the dinner, but now she just wanted to get the cooking over with.

The weight of Jin's stare was heavy on her back.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore," Kazane said, and she didn't miss her brother's soft sigh in the background. "There is something I want to talk to you about, though, but not now. Later tonight."

There was a pregnant pause before Jin replied, almost a promise. "Alright. Later."

The kitchen door closed once again, this time with much less force, and Kazane gripped onto the counter tightly as she leaned over it, a heavy sigh expelling from her lips. This was fucked.

What was she going to do now? It wasn't like she could just ignore Hiei and they could gloss over it like nothing ever happened; there was no way he'd let it go with how she reacted. She had wanted to kiss him, and they would have had it not been for Jin's inopportune interruption. His intent had been pretty clear.

It had been so long since she'd had romantic company, or even a romantic interest. Another lifetime ago, and that had been something that'd taken a decade to come to terms with; that she wasn't going back to her old life. All of her loved ones were no doubt older, if time passed the same way. Even if she didn't act it she was mentally over forty years old. Maybe being reborn was a physical form of repression, and that was why her actions or personality didn't mature as they should've. Her fleeting wish at remembering the prize of the tournament win had been unrealistic as all hell.

Another thing to feel guilty about to add to the ever-growing list, it seemed.

Placing the meticulously plated dinner onto a tray she balanced it on one shoulder, her other hand grabbing another beer from the fridge. Botan had said this was a celebration, right? What better time to get absolutely shitfaced.

Forcefully kicking open the door to the outside Kazane ignored Genkai's annoyed stare, making rounds to set a plate down in front her companions before seating herself across from Yusuke.

"Let's play beer pong," She demanded, and the detective's grin turned almost feral.

"You know you always lose, right? And this time it isn't gonna be because I'm sober and you're not."

Blinking in surprise Kazane paused with a fork to her mouth. "You're not drinking."

"Why the hell not?" Yusuke protested. "You act like I've never had a sip in my life! Aren't you supposed to say some shit like 'well, it's better if you do it in the house and blah blah blah'? Besides, you're not even that much older than me, y'know."

At her hesitant pause the boy's face drew into a frown, and he ignored the food in his lap. "Hey, you okay? If you're worrying about the food, it's fine. A little spicy, but..."

Having an open-hearted chat with Yusuke was fleeting and few between, and the only times Kazane could remember having them were when she was out on the hotel balcony, or immediately after Genkai had died. Just the fact that he had asked was proof enough that something was showing on her face.

Sighing Kazane picked apart the meal she made, a frown growing. After making sure nobody in their proximity was listening she sighed. "I think...something happened between Hiei and I."

It took Yusuke a full few seconds before responding, and instead of a look of shock on his face he began devouring the meal before him.

"Congratulations, you're the last to know," He replied sarcastically. "Well, I guess aside from Kuwabara, maybe."

The bit of meat on the end of her fork dropped onto the plate, and Yusuke looked up to find Kazane gaping at him.

"What? I'm not stupid, you know. He's liked you for a while, I just thought you knew." Taking advantage of her stupor Yusuke grabbed her beer, taking a long sip with one eye fixed on her. "And hey, he's weird as hell but I like the little twerp." He waved his fork in her direction. "But if he hurts you, that rematch is coming quicker than he thinks."

Plowing through niceties was Yusuke's specialty, even if it was jarring as all hell to hear. A strangled sound came from Kazane's throat, and she quickly snatched back the bottle Yusuke had stolen, glaring at the boy.

It made sense, what with the way he had acted at the end of his match. He had apologized to her; if he thought the two had a secret thing going on or whatever then him saying sorry probably felt like the right thing to do.

At least if Hiei did something untoward he'd face a pummeling from both Jin and Yusuke.

"I...urgh," Kazane spouted eloquently, passing off her own plate to the greaser. She needed an outlet, something to distract or numb her from this entire circus of bullshit happening. Her appetite was fading fast.

Closer to the tree line Kuwabara and Yukina were dancing to the boombox, Kuwabara doing the dorkiest disco poses Kazane had ever seen. Botan and Jin were seated some feet away, Jin moving leaves in time to the music's beat before her. Well, at least two people were enjoying the company of another. Shizuru laid on the grass, staring up at the slowly-emerging stars with a cigarette dangling from her lips. Genkai seemed to be staring out into the treeline, a distant look in her eyes.

"Do you remember what rule number one of Team Urameshi is?"

Yusuke's tone turned serious, and Kazane looked over at him in surprise. He was no longer annihilating his food, simply glaring at the plate.

"No dying?" She replied hesitantly.

He nodded sagely. "Yeah, that's right. No dying. I shouldn't have to tell you that, but after you almost got yourself turned into a pincushion I guess I have to."

Now Kazane's appetite really was gone. Her mouth felt too dry, and she inhaled sharply before responding. "Yusuke-"

"Nope, absolutely not," He cut off harshly. "We are _not_ having this conversation after every stupid match."

They would've had to talk about it sometime, she supposed. Still, after what had happened earlier Kazane found she was definitely not in the right headspace to receive admonition from her surrogate brother. The other one had already done that tonight. Still, she owed it to Yusuke to not be a total bitch about it.

"It would have been fine," She tried to explain, but a vein in his head bulged as he held in his anger.

"It wouldn't've been fine for me, alright?!"

Kazane sat in ashamed silence, trying desperately to find something else to look at. She had been an idiot to think that her death would potentially return everything to the canon she had been so caught up with since she was reborn here; her life was so closely entwined with everyone around her that things wouldn't just be okay. Her gaze caught Genkai's, and the psychic gave her a quiet, knowing look, not bothering to glance at the greaser seated across Kazane.

She needed to figure out how and when to actually tell the others the truth. Maybe if she did that then Yusuke would understand why she acted with such certainty sometimes, or why the idea of death wasn't as terrifying for her.

"Okay," She sighed. "You're right. I'll try not to be such a suicidal idiot in the future, I suppose."

The response seemed good enough for Yusuke, and he gave her a long stare before nodding. His shoulders visibly relaxed, and Kazane let out a breath just as a rustle of clothing and grass caught her attention. With a start she realized Kurama was settling himself down beside the two of them, and Yusuke shot her a look before annihilating the rest of the food on his plate. Not a moment later Keiko joined the party, giving the demoness a smile.

"That was delicious, Kazane. Yusuke said you could cook but-"

"It's nothing," Kazane interrupted, rubbing her neck. "Besides, Yusuke told me your family owned a ramen shop. I bet your cooking's even better."

Keiko beamed before hearing Yusuke's snort, and she slapped him in the back of the head, forcefully knocking his face right onto his almost cleared plate.

"Speaking of dinner," Kurama injected, fixing the redhead with a coy look. "Hiei seems to have disappeared; it would be a shame if his meal were to go to waste."

Damn this fox. Had he been listening to their conversation earlier?

Keiko shot a confused look between the three of them, but the awkward moment was cut off by the sound of footsteps, and Kazane found herself being roughly pulled up by her sleeve, a cheery grim reaper shooting her a grin.

"My, I think we should have some girl time, don't you think? Keiko, Kazane? Hopefully we can wrangle Shizuru into our group."

If Kazane could she'd cry tears of joy at the girl's intrusion, but as it was she merely shot the fox demon a fierce look before allowing herself to be led away by Botan. After glancing at where Kuwabara and Yukina seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves the grim reaper remarked that they should let them be.

The three settled at a patch of grass closer to the treeline, on the opposite side of where the others were, and Botan let out a frustrated sigh as Shizuru joined them.

"My, that certainly was tense, wasn't it?"

Closing her eyes in exasperation Kazane rubbed her temples. Maybe Yusuke was right and she really was the last to know, or at least accepted it. Damn spiritual beings and demons, and their fittingly inhuman hearing.

"I'm sorry, Botan, I guess I don't understand," Keiko began, but Botan leaned her chin on her palm and began talking rapidly, her eyes appraising the demoness before her.

"Oh, nothing. Just saving Kazane from a lifetime of embarrassment!"

"A little too late for that," The redhead grumbled, taking another long drink of her beer.

More than ever she wished she could have a redo of tonight, maybe go back to lighthearted times with Yukina at the supermarket. Originally she had wanted to just hangout in the temple by herself, maybe watch the stars. Now, however, it seemed as though she was coming to terms with the brick-to-the-face that was everyone around her being aware that Hiei...well, that he wanted something to do with her.

"_No more running away. No more avoidance."_

Hiei had no idea how right he was. Even if he wasn't the one doing the instigating everyone around Kazane was more than up for the task of reminding them that their connection was more than just a sulking broody demon hanging around a crude redheaded demoness.

"I guess it's admirable that you're both able to keep up with everything."

Keiko's words held a hint of bitterness to them, and Kazane looked up in surprise. The younger girl's brows were tensed, and despite the sardonic grin she was sporting it was obvious what she was thinking about, her brown orbs focused on her hands. She was wringing them roughly before her.

"You know," Kazane began, taking an emergency cigarette out of the pack from her pocket and lighting it. "When I was at the tournament I nearly had a nervous breakdown. Sat in that medical tent and hovered like my life depended on it, trying to detach from everything."

Keiko simply stared at the older girl in surprise, the other two saying nothing.

"Keeping up with everything is just a front. Yusuke can hardly keep up with it all," Kazane continued, not meeting Keiko's eyes. "And I can't blame him. He didn't tell you because he didn't know how; he barely even came to terms with everything himself. It's...rough."

Keiko's face seemed to draw into an ever deeper frown, and at this Kazane scooted her beverage closer to the girl, silently offering a drink.

"But you know," She continued, this time in a lighter tone. "One of the best things you can do is get a handle on self-defense. Even just learning how to kick and punch properly will make you feel more sure of yourself. I'd be more than happy to teach you, and I'm sure Shizuru knows a thing or two about it."

Shizuru gave the redhead a smile. "Wise words, little lady. We'll turn Keiko into a brawler for sure."

"My," Botan giggled. "At this rate we'll have the most threatening girl gang ever. If only we could get Yukina in on this development!"

Keiko blushed, sending a grateful look Kazane's way before steeling herself, gripping the bottle of beer and taking a swig. The look of revulsion on her face earned a laugh from the other three, Kazane choking on her cigarette.

It was nice spending time with the girls, even if Botan somehow managed to talk Kazane into letting her braid her hair, Shizuru adding in intricate braids herself. The conversation was much lighter than any at the tournament, and it was almost enough to chase away the anxiety in Kazane's bones. Eventually darkness fell, and all of the redhead's attention was averted to the luminescent bugs blinking across the clearing. They had arrived earlier than she thought.

Standing up to full height she bade the girls farewell, trying to ignore the softly concerned look in Botan's eyes. On the way back to the temple she caught Jin's gaze, his fist locked around Kuwabara's as they arm-wrestled while Yukina played referee. She nodded minutely at him before hovering up towards the tiles of the roof, the tension in her limbs relaxing as she realized that it was well and truly out of view of everyone below.

The smell of fresh air and lavender invaded her senses as Jin appeared in a whirl of wind, and he easily took a seat beside her on the cool tiles. The breeze coming in was nice; not too strong but just enough that carried the scent of all the greenery in the forest. The two stared up at the moon in silence, Jin resting his head back on his arms.

Taking a deep breath Kazane spoke. "If I asked, would you let me go with you?"

Jin did a double take, looking between the moon and his sister with wide eyes. "And what in the hell are ye talkin' about now?"

"Back to demon world. There's something I think I need to do, but it's probably going to turn out really fucking badly. So..." Huffing out smoke she grimaced. "I don't mean tomorrow, I just need to know if it came to it I could go with you."

There was a half-baked plan forming in her mind, but the idea of actually putting it out into action was almost terrifying. If it all failed, she'd need a plan B, and she intended to start tonight.

"Kaz, yer always welcome at my side," He began, still bewildered but now concerned. "But where on Earth is this comin' from?"

She began quietly, gripping her brother's wrist, her tone vague. "What if I told you I don't belong here? That I wasn't meant to meet everyone? That I just made everything worse..."

Jin responded immediately, a determined look entering his eyes. "Kaz, ye belong. Trust me, ye do. Urameshi wouldn't have spouted threats like a sailor durin' our match if he didn't care about ye, and the entire time on the beach Botan was expressin' nothin' but worry for ye." He gently gripped her hand tight in his. "Yer friends are somethin' else, I meant what I said, as I always do."

The sincerity in his stare made Kazane turn away, tears beading up in the corners of her eyes. She was turning into a fucking crybaby, this was all so stupid. She wrapped her arms around the back of her head, turning to face the night sky rather than the too-sincere eyes of her brother.

"Just...if I ask you sometime, let me go with you."

The red skies of demon world appeared frequently in her nightmares, but still. If she had Jin with her then nothing bad could happen. Probably. She was stronger now than she'd been by miles, even if it wasn't enough for her.

Yusuke would never forgive her if she left, but the possibility of him never forgiving her for taking so long to reveal her past was equally as possible. The only one who would understand would likely be Genkai, but that didn't mean she'd approve. Even now she was planning an escape route if things turned grisly; Hiei's words back in the kitchen were all-too true. She really hated this instinct of bailing when shit got hard, even if it was the easier route.

Jin looked over her expression for a distressingly long time before sighing and mirroring her position. Kazane would have to tell him the truth at some point, too, but it wasn't something she wanted to mull over for long. Her brother was as accepting as they came, but even so...the idea of him feeling aversion towards her was too terrifying to face right now.

Baby steps.

"Yusuke threatened you during your match?" She asked, and thankfully Jin accepted the change of topic easily.

A grin spread across his face, his own incisors peeking out behind his lips. "Aye, lad was in a right tiff. Spouted somethin' about bunkin' off only to pop up at a tournament when ye'd talked about findin' me fer ages." As he glanced over at her Kazane flushed with embarrassment. "Said he'd clock me a new one if I didn't step up, and truthfully, Kaz, that boyo has a punch that could shatter mountains."

She looked down from the rooftops towards a head of slicked-back hair near the fire, a small smile creasing the corners of her lips. Yusuke really was...well, maybe sweet wasn't the right word. The only thing that could be heard from the medical tent was Jin's ridiculous accent, but the entire time Kazane had wished she could hear their conversation, as tight-knit as it was.

A thought sprang to her mind, albeit an off topic one.

"Hey, uh, can I ask you something?"

Jin playfully nudged her shoulder. "Ye just did."

Rolling her eyes Kazane stubbed out her cigarette. "Okay, well, a lot of things, I guess. Are you and Botan...I mean, do you like Botan?"

It was something she had been meaning to ask since Kurama spoke of the grim reaper inviting him to the girl's outing on the beach. That, and probably better to preface her more serious questions with lighter subjects. He seemed to bask in the more optimistic atmosphere after her question about his and Yusuke's match.

Instead of Jin babbling or blushing or any measure of embarrassed outburst, he simply shook his head.

"Nah, she's a great lass though, I must confess. Cares fer ye all in a mighty way. My heart is set on another."

"Oh," Kazane simply said. "Okay."

For a few quiet moments the two just sat in comfortable silence, Kazane taking in the darkening night and her brother's presence. This was what she had been looking forward to, although she'd never admit she missed the company of another person watching the burgeoning stars with her. It hadn't even been that long really, Hiei usually popped up at some point when everyone else was asleep at the hotel.

She tried to swallow past the newly-formed lump in her throat, glancing over at Jin and taking in his serene expression before taking a deep breath.

"Jin...do you have any idea how long half-demons live for?"

The peaceful moment evaporated, and she could see it in the way his shoulders tensed, his brows coming together even as he didn't turn to face her. Bringing the question of her mortality up was probably super unpleasant for him, and she regretted doing it, but if she had to ask anyone then better it be him. Kurama could only offer her a vague answer when she spoke about it.

"Hard to say, honestly," He forced out. "...Likely only a few hundred years."

Kazane choked. '_Only_ a few hundred years'?

No, it made sense. Kurama was what, somewhere around a millenium old? Demons lived practically forever; hundreds and hundreds of years. Even if the idea of living for a few hundred years was mind-boggling to her it probably felt fleeting to any true demon. The idea of living for the average human life many times over was still...a lot. With a pang of sadness she realized that in her time, if she survived this reality, she would see everyone truly human she cared about die of old age pretty early on.

Well, fuck.

Jin and her settled into silence, neither of them saying anything until Jin once more reached over for her hand, gripping it tightly in his. It wasn't hard to tell what he was thinking; he was similar to Kuwabara in that any of his emotions flitted across his face with relative ease. Gently Kazane squeezed back, blinking back tears as she stared up at the night sky.

* * *

Sleep was more elusive than usual, even with the sounds of the boys snoring echoing throughout the temple.

Kazane tossed and turned in her futon, unable to find a suitable spot to descend into unconsciousness. Everything was either too warm or too cold. Even the mess of bedding and blankets surrounding her provided no comfort, and she huffed strands of red hair out of her face, sitting up.

Rubbing her eyes she stared out into the darkness. Everyone had escaped to the guest rooms some time after Kazane disappeared herself, and for once the feel of being alone with her thoughts was more of a detriment than she had originally assumed. Even a luxuriously long shower did nothing to relax her. Sleep didn't come easy, and tension coiled in her muscles as she thought over the events of the last twenty-four hours.

Ripping the sheets off of her she got up, heading quietly out onto the porch, the chill of the night causing goosebumps to raise across her skin.

The temple had always felt like it was secluded from everything in the world, her and Genkai's own little bubble, only interrupted with Yusuke's appearance. Even now, in the dead of night as everyone else slept soundly, it felt like she was on a different plane of existence. It was nice, kind of like she was suspended in limbo where time didn't exist.

Curling the smaller blanket she brought along tighter across her shoulders Kazane inhaled deeply before stepping onto the grass, making her way out towards a familiar clearing of botched trees. The dew on the blades caused her to shiver.

There was no spirit energy besides what she could feel behind in the temple, but that didn't discourage her. Slowly her eyes adjusted to the darkness, but even if it was pitch black she could've found her way to the area she had spent so much time in.

The mottled stumps and cleaved trees looked the same as ever, even after a month away, the only difference some buds growing from stumps and branches. Despite Kazane absolutely wreaking havoc on the area for most of her life, still it seemed determined to grow back, or at least try.

The only sounds were the calls of crickets and the occasional hoot of an owl, and as more seconds passed she realized what a profoundly stupid idea it was coming out here. It was _cold_, and she was barefoot. What the hell was she doing? Following whims of over-thinking, no doubt.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a glow coming from near her elbow, and she turned to find one of the lightning bugs hovering in her space, several more appearing from the foliage. She held her breath, hardly daring to move as one slowly descended on the outstretched tip of her finger, a smile creasing her lips. Their dim light barely lit up the clearing at all, but it was enough to catch a glimpse of a pair of red eyes, seeming to also glow in the darkness, and Kazane's breath hitched in her throat as she met Hiei's gaze.

Some part of her thought maybe he had just up and left after Jin's outburst. Had he been out here the whole night? Watching the party from the outskirts and loitering in a tree?

Swallowing past the lump in her throat she clutched the blanket in a death grip, her knuckles white, and faced the fire demon. She needed to man up, actually face shit head on for once.

"Sorry if you were sleeping," She half-heartedly joked, but Hiei kept the same expression. Sighing, she continued. "I'm...I'm not good at any of this shit. I'm sure you've figured that out. What you said back in the kitchen? You were right, and I'm a fucking idiot. I run away from everything, it's my nature, and honestly I hate it."

She expected some sort of reaction. Something. Hiei simply continued staring at her, his hands affixed in his pockets. Part of her wanted to just bail, head back to the temple and abandon her stupid attempts at a plan. Still, she fiddled with a thread on the blanket, determined to stay where she was.

If this was going to happen, whatever it was, then she had to do this.

"Listen to me, okay, because this is important," Kazane babbled, feeling her heart rate increase and her breaths coming quicker. "I don't know what..._this_ is, going on with us, but there's something you need to know about me. And if you don't want anything to do with me after you hear it, then I get it, but it's really fucking important you know, and-"

"I know."

The words were quiet, but clear, and Kazane's stomach dropped at the sound. Blinking, she choked out: "What?"

Ruby orbs disappeared as Hiei's eyes closed, a soft sigh making his shoulders rise and fall. "I said, I know."

Silence entered the clearing as Kazane gaped at him in bewilderment, and it was then that Hiei ceased leaning on the tree behind him, finally standing at full height.

"Your efforts to hide it were lacking at best," He explained. "I felt it in your energy when I entered your mind in Maze Castle, and again at the tournament."

"Ah," She said lamely, any well-planned response escaping her brain as she stifled attempts to remember the familiar feeling of void creeping in at Maze Castle.

Hiei stepped closer, his footfalls barely audible, and he stopped a few feet away, his cloak melding in with the darkness around them. The lightning bugs dancing around the clearing illuminated his face for a second at a time, the light fading quickly, and Kazane wondered if she looked the same in his eyes. They cast an eerie glow, but it wasn't so bad, really.

The moon looked so large out in the mountains, the muck of city smog not tainting the view of the night sky, and she sighed heavily, remembering her conversation with Jin hours earlier. This impromptu confession about her origin was not going as planned, even as half-baked as it was.

"Why didn't you say something? If you felt it back at Maze Castle then..."

Hiei looked away, shrugging a shoulder nonchalantly. "You've never asked about my past. You told me you didn't care. I felt it was only fair."

His words were like a shotgun to the stomach, that same warmth racing up her spine. This was much more than she had ever expected; Hiei reciprocating her gesture. Her own was a hollow one, in a sense, because even though she'd never asked him, and even though she said she didn't give a shit, she still knew. He figured her secret out on his own, though he was surely lacking a mountain of details.

"I meant what I said," She began hesitantly. "I'm not good at this shit. It doesn't come easy for me, even after all this time. Especially after all this time."

Finally glancing up at Hiei she noted the look of understanding in his eyes, still swirling defensiveness also registering in his expression. Even at this distance that same feeling crept up her spine, and she shivered.

If Kazane was going to dig her own grave tonight, then so be it. At least she had an out if everything collapsed horribly. She needed to come to terms with her own feelings, and whatever the fuck was happening around her. Even with her brother no doubt threatening death on Hiei if he pursued her, and even with the void in her veins, he was still there. No questions asked. She owed him that same sort of honesty.

The blanket descended from her shoulders, and immediately chill set in her limbs. Trying not to think too much about her actions Kazane broke the distance between the two, gripping a fistful of Hiei's cloak and pulling it in closer.

There was barely a second to register the look of surprise on Hiei's face, his eyes widening a fraction, before she pressed her lips onto his, the warmth immediately easing the slight chill in the air around them. Any thought bouncing around in her brain just blanked out, before returning at alarming pace as Hiei pulled back a fraction of an inch, all of his muscles tense.

She had made a mistake, acted too rash, maybe even misread all of his actions. Maybe it wasn't what the others thought, what she had tried so long to ignore. She was a goddamn idiot-

A warm hand ran fingers through her loose, unkempt locks, and Kazane looked up to find Hiei staring at her face with something unnameable in his eyes. She inhaled sharply, apologies coming to mind before Hiei lurched forward locked her in a kiss himself, lips working fervently against hers as his hand moved to her cheek.

As she clung to the fabric of his cloak she realized that trying to use words was a stupid plan; all of Hiei's past actions demonstrated that he didn't give a shit about flowery sentences or explanations. Actions meant more, made more sense, and so far all of her own had probably been confusing as all hell. Her marching forward and swallowing her insecurities had probably been the most truthful thing she had done since they first met, aside from saving his life during Yusuke's match.

With startling clarity despite the situation she realized she was probably much the same. Words were fallible, but what someone did determined their character, and she relied on that. She was such an idiot.

Pulling away for the sake of her nerves Kazane stepped back, trying to get some oxygen into her lungs. It took a second for reality to set in: she had kissed Hiei, and somehow he was still here. He had kissed her back. Oh, god.

She waited for the blush to fade from her face before glancing up at him, and much to her embarrassment his lips were quirked into a subtle smirk.

"So," Kazane cleared her throat, freeing his cloak from her fists. "Um."

"I meant what I said at the tournament," Hiei began, his composure making her jealous. "Nobody needs to know of our interactions."

She swallowed down the sarcastic quip that everyone else already had a pretty good idea, trying to dissect the subtle tone behind Hiei's words. He was still being vague as hell, even after she had planted one on him. Well, she didn't really expect much else in all honesty. This was more than she had expected; the idea of her actually initiating a kiss left scenes of him storming away in her mind originally. Taking a deep breath she steeled herself, trying to chase away every impulse to dissect everything.

"Okay," Kazane said simply, letting her shoulders relax and searching Hiei's eyes for any sign of regret or reluctance. She found none.

"Alright," He responded, the breeze ruffling his hair slightly as he took in her face. The lightning bugs made the angles on his own seem sharper.

Despite the tingle in her lips, and despite the heat in her stomach Kazane still felt like she had made some sort of deal with a handsome devil.

As she retrieved the blanket and headed back to her room she stifled a laugh, biting on her knuckle as she laid her head on the pillow. Moving to drape her arm across her eyes she ran fingers over her lips, Hiei's familiar scent still clinging to her clothing.

No going back now.

* * *

**Note: Hey y'all. How's it going? Hope you're all doing well.**

**I told you everything would come to a head after the tournament, although it came to a head in a way more intense way than I think anyone thought. The alternate title for this chapter should be: Kazane faces all her bad coping habits.**

**I'm honestly not entirely happy with this chapter, but here it is. I've obsessively edited it over the course of a couple (a lot of) days. This monster is a whopping 13k words, the longest so far. The beginning was hard to write because, well, what else was there besides the stadium blowing up?**

**BotanxJin isn't going to be a thing in this story; in my mind Botan invited Jin along with the girls, and expressed her concern for Kazane and Yusuke's wellbeing. Jin felt the same, and then the two decided to get everyone together so nobody would be left on their own to dwell in grief over Genkai.**

**I'm also not jumping into the next arc right away. I think it takes like a couple weeks to a month max before Botan is sent to the mortal realm for Yusuke, so there should at least be a chapter or two before we get started there.**

**Eternal thanks to xenocanaan, Vienna22, Zayren Heart, FLStar, Damaged Forest Spirit, and AmericanNidiot for the reviews.**

**Title credit goes to First Love/Late Spring by Mitski.**


	20. Missed the Boat

There were no terrors that night.

No phantom faces to dwell over, no tears to awake to in the morning. No sense of plummeting unrelenting into void, and for that Kazane was grateful.

She awoke as usual, earlier than everyone else despite the fact she still hadn't slept the full eight hours, but considering whatever potential hangovers the boys were sporting it made sense. She rose, washed her face, and began preparing to make breakfast. As the ingredients were withdrawn from the fridge she turned at the sound of padded footsteps, nearly dropping the eggs in shock when she saw Yukina in the doorframe of the kitchen.

"I'm sorry," The ice apparition stuttered out. "I didn't meant to startle you."

Pressing a palm to her heart to try and calm it Kazane breathed out a sigh. "No, it's fine. Nobody's usually up this early so I wasn't expecting...um, there's coffee made if you want some."

There was something tense in their silence, despite Yukina moving to grab a cup of coffee and Kazane cracking eggs into the skillet, rice-maker puffing up steam not too far away. A really calming, domestic scene, usually. It was too early for this all, and especially after what had happened the previous night Kazane felt incredibly uncomfortable in Yukina's presence.

She was halfway through adding the necessary spices to the pan when Yukina spoke.

"I didn't mean to disturb you, Kazane, but there is something I want to talk to you about."

Oh no, what now?

The redhead gathered her thoughts as she let the concoction alone, a quirked grimace on her face. Yukina was adorable, and Kazane was in a good mood, but this kind of thing early in the morning was usually reserved for Kurama. Actually, it was kind of surprising he wasn't awake yet.

Turning, she let the eggs simmer on the stove, shooting Yukina a small smile.

"Alright, I'll bite. What is it?"

It seemed to take the demoness a moment to muster up the courage to say whatever words she had been planning, and Kazane watched as Yukina observed the nails on her hands with more interest than should ever be allowed. Finally, she breathed in deep, glancing up at the redhead with soft ruby eyes.

"I'm afraid I'm asking for a favor. I mentioned before I am looking for my brother, and after experiencing the Dark Tournament and becoming friends with you and everyone else I think that staying in the mortal realm is the best place to search for him." A soft sigh left her lips before she continued. "I was hoping I could persuade you into letting me stay in the temple while I continue my search."

Kazane froze.

There was no way Yukina should know that Hiei was her brother, and there was arguably no way for herself to know about the two of them, but she still felt some innate sense in her to maybe consult with Hiei about this. That thought was immediately wiped away; if she even hinted at their potential relation who the fuck knew what would happen? They were making...progress (or something).

"I don't know why you're asking me," Kazane half-heartedly laughed. "I mean, this is Genkai's temple after all."

A demure smile appeared on Yukina's lips. "I've already spoken with Genkai, and she instructed me to ask you. She wanted to make sure the arrangement was comfortable with you, first."

Damn that old psychic. There was no way with her experience she didn't know the two were related.

There were worse roommates to be had; Yusuke left trash wherever he went and somehow left black hairs all over the goddamn sink. At least Yukina was polite, adorable, and wholeheartedly devoted to whatever cause she had in her mind. Still, why the hell was she the one to make the final decision?

Chewing on her lip Kazane nodded. "Okay...yeah." At Yukina's beaming expression she raised her eyebrows. "On one condition; we are teaching you to defend yourself."

"Oh no," Yukina began protesting. "I don't think-"

"I do think. I think that it's useful, and we won't teach you anything offensive unless you ask. But with the rate our crew's going I think it's best if everyone in proximity was able to fight off someone if the need arose. I've already extended an offer to Keiko."

A tense silence reigned over the room, and Kazane wanted to palm her face in her fist. Being decisive probably wasn't the way to go about it, and judging from the expression on Yukina's face she was having qualms about it.

"Listen," Kazane began, stepping away from the counter to kneel beside the girl. "I know it's scary, and I'm not saying that you should turn everyone remotely threatening into a popsicle. I'm just saying, what if Kuwabara isn't there, what if I'm not there? It's..." She sighed, turning her gaze to the stove. "I'd just feel like shit if something happened to you."

For a moment she was worried she had said the wrong thing, but after a second a giggle broke the silence, and Kazane looked up to see Yukina with a hand pressed to her lips, cheeks blushing.

"Thank you," The ice apparition spoke softly. "For your concern. I suppose you're right, and compromise is important, so...yes. That's agreeable."

Taking a deep breath Kazane smiled at her, turning back once more to the stove as a familiar fox-demon entered the room. He paused at the coffee maker, casting an emerald glance at the two girls. No doubt whatever undercurrent was running through the room he saw it in an instant, and Kazane internally cursed the gods for Kurama being dutiful and awake at a reasonable hour.

Surprisingly, all he spoke was: "Thank you for preparing breakfast, Kazane." before seating himself at the table, his posture perfect as he engaged in light conversation with Yukina.

There was a small smirk on his face, and the one time he glanced over at Kazane he gave her the same coy look he had given at the tournament. She blushed, chopping the onion with more force than she should have, trying to subtly smell her clothes for the scent of evergreen and char.

He'd commented on it in the hotel room, there was no way he wouldn't notice it after a goddamn kiss.

Bodies began piling into the kitchen, angry grunts and groans coming from Yusuke. Kuwabara hesitated before plopping himself in a chair, taking in Yukina's expression and beaming. Jin shot Kazane a look before sitting down politely in a chair, on hand rest against the palm of his hand.

It didn't take long for the girls to enter, already showered and dressed, and before long Genkai emerged as well. There were really no words for the sight of the dining table finally fully-loaded with people. Chatter echoed throughout the kitchen, and Kazane stood at the counter, continuing her work but listening to the snippets of conversation with a grin.

It was one thing to see everyone mingling at Botan's spontaneous party, it was another to see everyone crowded at the table talking like they were old friends. A spot of black caught her attention, and surprisingly Hiei came into the kitchen from the door, all eyes looking up at his appearance.

A strange rush of sensation flooded through Kazane; the familiar tingle up her spine was there, but there was also some sort of hesitance, or shame. What if last night had been a fluke and she was a stupid idiot? The last twenty-four hours had actually happened, right?

Hiei ignored the eyes on him, taking the penultimate empty seat and glancing over at Kazane, the corners of his lips barely quirked in a smile. The sight brought back that same flush, and the redhead busied herself with gathering all plates of the meal, the shame dissipating as quickly as it had appeared. For all intents and purposes, last night had actually happened and Hiei didn't seem to want to gut her over it.

A loud, unnatural groan interrupted the hubbub, and Kazane turned to find Jin holding up a severely bent fork, chagrin coloring his features.

"Aye, Kaz, perhaps another?"

The awkward moment as Kazane retrieved another utensil was cut short by Kurama taking reigns of the conversation, asking Kuwabara and Yusuke about the their studies, or rather lackthereof. For the most part the chatter was light, and as the redhead settled herself down between Keiko and Hiei a tremble shook through her limbs, only eased when Keiko turned to face her.

"I was thinking about what you said last night," The brunette began, an excited gleam to her eyes. "And I've decided that learning from you is probably a good idea, and Shizuru, too."

Kazane took a giant drink of her coffee, trying with all her might to ignore the sight of Hiei slowly eating his meal. It was still so weird watching him eat food, almost as weird as seeing him unconscious. If she hadn't witnessed both firsthand she would've sworn the man didn't fulfill his body's needs.

"We'll figure it out. I don't want you to burn yourself out with school and learning everything else."

"Weekends would work I think."

Kazane winked at the girl. "Then it's a done deal."

She had expected everyone to withdraw from the table pretty immediately after their meals were done, but instead all bodies loitered at the wood, seeming reluctant to get up and break the comfortable atmosphere. Yusuke covertly flicked some food off his spoon, the wad getting an insane amount of arc, before splatting dramatically on Kuwabara's cheek. As the ginger began yelling and Yusuke cackled like a hyena Kazane turned her gaze on the others, drowning out Keiko entering the fray.

Kurama and Hiei were in quiet conversation that she couldn't quite hear. Surprisingly, Shizuru and Genkai were discussing their preferred brands of cigarettes. Jin and Botan were focused on the topic of the grim reaper's flying oar.

Kazane began clearing off the table, thinking to herself that maybe this was what a large family unit was like, even if it was a wildly unconventional one. Kurama's own mane of red hair entered her line of vision, bringing the remaining dishware to the sink, and she shot the demon an appreciative look.

"It's good to hear music from you again."

His words made her halt midstep, and with a start she realized she had been humming without thinking twice about it. Heat rising to her ears she turned back towards the table, thankful that everyone else was too-wrapped up in their conversations to be paying attention.

"Better than whatever the hell was coming out of the boombox last night," She joked, leaning against the kitchen counter, arms crossed.

"I must confess, your songs are much more creative. Nearly all of them I've never heard before."

She didn't have to look over to know that there was a sharp look in his veridian eyes, or a pleasant smile gracing his lips. Any time there was even a drop of suspiciousness it seemed Kurama could sniff it out. Like a bloodhound.

Kazane inhaled, the air straining against the inside of her lungs. Well, fuck it. Maybe she should stop dancing around this secret with Kurama and start playing ball. Or at least, throw the first pitch.

Why the fuck was she using baseball metaphors? She hated baseball.

"I'll have to tell you about them sometime," She replied, her answering grin not quite wide enough.

Whatever Kurama was searching for in her expression he seemed to find, for he bowed his head slightly, eyes closing as he let out a 'hmm'.

Yusuke chose that moment to get up from the table, the chair leg scraping harshly against the floor, and Genkai shot him an annoyed look. Kuwabara followed suit, and then the rest, and Kazane tried not to dwell too long on the fact that soon they'd be out the door and back towards their own lives. After some muttering about not wanting to miss the bus they retreated to their own rooms to gather their things, and Kazane took the opportunity to head outside into the sunshine.

There really was something to be said about being surrounded on all sides by mountains and forests, untouched by anything remotely close to city life. Even the small town nearby had no more than 5,000 people in it, and by now most of the ones Kazane interacted with on her shopping trips had grown accustomed to her; a petite redhead with a foul mouth that was abysmal at haggling when at early morning farmer's markets. Some relative or orphan raised by the kooky ghost lady up on the hill.

There surely wasn't a whole lot for the boys to pack up, and the girls likely wouldn't take too long either, so Kazane took a small walk around the pond and gardens, savoring the wind blowing through the trees.

She'd never take the temple for granted again.

Something caught her arm, tugging harshly into the shade of a cloister of trees. She swallowed a yelp, the hand moving to her daggers going lax as familiar heat and raven hair registered.

"Uh, hey," She hesitantly greeted, looking over Hiei with wide eyes. When the hell had he left the kitchen, and why was he pulling her aside like they were about to do a drug deal?

If anything, the events of last night had only succeeded in escalating the nervousness inside her, except now she had an understanding of why.

Hiei said nothing, simply staring at her with imperceptible ruby eyes.

This was...fucking weird. Was he being quiet because he was nervous too? He sure didn't look it. If anything, he looked like he was about to tell her something incredibly serious. Oh god, he wasn't about to say that last night was really a fluke, was he? Then again, Hiei was never really one to do things out of forced politeness, so-

"I'll be leaving soon."

His words interrupted her incessant stream of worrying, and Kazane blinked, finding that her nervousness was now mixed with something akin to sadness. No more late night talks at the fire, it seemed.

She found the question she wanted to ask caught in her throat, not wanting to come across as desperate or clingy or whatever it could be misconstrued as. Instead, her word-vomit offered up something less vulnerable.

"I have an idea for some attacks, but I need your help with developing them."

Hiei took a frustratingly long time to respond, simply nodding minutely as he scanned her face. This was fucking ridiculous; they were both so awkward it made her want to puke.

"I have some things to attend to," He finally said. "And then I'll be back."

It took an insane amount of willpower to prevent her shoulders from relaxing in relief. At least the guy wasn't disappearing forever, only popping up when there were demons to be beheaded. Despite what Kazane thought was remarkable self control Hiei's lips still quirked up, a knowing gleam in his eyes. Apparently something showed on her face.

"Well, don't tell me you're going to miss me?"

Completely breaking all self-control Kazane rolled her eyes so hard they probably should have gone back into her head. As if Hiei needed anything else to boost his already massive ego.

"More like thinking of how malnourished you'll be when you come back. What'll you do without beautifully constructed meals?"

Her teasing words had been meant as a simple joke, but they seemed to have some effect as all traces of humor vanished from Hiei's face. Had she said something wrong?

There was a pause before he said: "Deer."

Blinking in succession Kazane raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry, what?"

Hiei's face was as still as stone. "Finding your own food sources is easy enough in the human realm. I kill deer."

He said those words like they were completely ordinary, with the same air of someone talking about the weather. The entire exchange was so ridiculous that Kazane suppressed a laugh, pressing her lips together in an effort to stem the smile threatening to spread. For all her efforts, though, her shoulders still shook with withheld laughter, and Hiei crossed his arms, an impatient sigh escaping from him.

"What now, woman?" His words were less biting than any previous time he had used that term to address her.

Just the idea of Hiei crouched by a fire, turning a stick with a hunk of meat on it that he had probably overpowered with ease was enough to send her into hysterics. She tried to suppress the image of Hiei clad in camo, the imaginary sight taking her close to the edge of absolutely losing her shit.

Kazane shook her head. "Nothing it's just...you're the strangest person I've ever met."

She had said it much more fondly than intended, and for a moment embarrassment crept in. Glancing up at Hiei she saw his eyes had widened, some similar expression on his face, mixed with reluctant pride.

"You're not exactly the model for demons, yourself," He replied.

Taking comfort in the fact that whatever awkward mood was now lifted with humor, Kazane raised a hand, extending her pinky. Hiei eyed her appendage as if he was afraid she would somehow try and hurt him with it. Her nails were long, she probably could have if given the chance in all honesty.

"Dumb human tradition," She briefly explained. "Whenever someone makes a promise they swear with their pinkies. Pinky promise." At Hiei's exasperated look she shook her arm. "I get it, it's stupid, but you're coming back, right? So, promise me."

Hiei eyed her finger for a few seconds before sighing heavily, offering his own and looking away as if afraid he was going to be caught by one of the guys and mercilessly teased for the rest of his life. Kazane eagerly wrapped her tiny digit around his, trying not to think too hard about how an insane amount of heat radiated even from just that, and she sent him a grin.

"There, now if you break your promise you have to break your pinky."

"Hardly a punishment," He replied, his grip on her tight even as he stared off at the treeline.

After withdrawing his digit from hers Hiei looked up at her one more time, his ruby eyes alight with something and nearly smoldering. Kazane felt her breath catch in her throat, and for a moment she thought that maybe he would go in for a kiss again, or something, but he simply let out a 'hmmph' and began walking towards the wilderness, the breeze carrying his scent further away from her.

In a flash of shadow he was gone, and Kazane ran a hand through her hair, wondering what the fuck had just happened.

As she made her way back towards the temple she took deep breaths. She wasn't an expert on relationships; far from it truth be told. The only serious one in both lifetimes had been the one she was in when she died, and even that was unconventional in most senses.

Were her and Hiei even in a relationship? Maybe demons just...let things happen without labels until they were together for a hundred years or so. Fine by her, as long as she got reassurance that it definitely was monogamous. Polyamory was pretty neat, but definitely not her cup of tea.

As weird as Hiei telling her he was leaving was, it still made her feel just a little bit better. Hell if she knew why or how.

Making her way through the rooms of the temple she found nearly everyone lugging their suitcases out onto the front steps, and she quickly stepped forward to help Botan heft what could only be an eighty-pound ton of clothes and toiletries out the door. The grim reaper shot her a grateful look, perspiration on her brow.

Yusuke stood on one of the stone steps, arms crossed and brows knit, and he stood back while everyone else gave Genkai, Kazane, and Yukina their farewells. He'd probably said goodbye to the old psychic earlier, alone.

"My duties as a grim reaper are very important, but cross my heart I'll see you soon!" Botan wailed, nearly weeping as she wrapped her arms around the redhead.

"Take it easy, kiddo," Shizuru said, taking a cigarette out from her pack and flicking it towards Kazane.

Keiko stepped forward, a warm and open smile on her face. "I'll see you soon."

Kuwabara once more enclosed her in a tight bear hug, almost crushing Kazane's ribs. "You've gotta come visit sometime soon. I've got Street Fighter, and I'll totally kick your butt, but I think you'd like it."

At the mention of any type of videogame Kazane grinned menacingly, making a silent promise to show up at the Kuwabara household and thoroughly school carrot-top at fighting games. So what if it had been nearly two decades? Muscle memory didn't lie, even if it really wasn't so much muscle memory as being a gigantic fucking nerd in her previous life.

Kurama gave her a smile, extending a hand. Kazane took it, before pulling the fox in for a hug, and despite the way his muscles seemed to instinctually tense he reciprocated easily. He smelled like roses and fresh rain.

"Gonna miss your cunning insight," She said, and she didn't miss the look he shot her in response.

"You might be seeing it again soon before too long. With our luck, at the very least. If you find yourself in Tokyo please visit."

His invitation seemed completely innocent, but his grin said something different, and he handed her a piece of paper with an address. No doubt his interest was now piqued after her comment earlier. She'd think about that later; trying to figure out a way to tell Kurama her Big Secret was like plotting out how to navigate a minefield, if the minefield could move wherever the hell it wanted.

Jin stood off to the side staring up at the blue sky, and Kazane approached, squeezing him harder than necessary in a hug. His own strength was fucking unbelievable, but despite the pressure on her muscles Kazane took comfort in his energy, in his scent of lavender, in the way that he was beaming.

"I'll see you soon," She said, leaving no room for debate.

Jin nodded, trying to smooth the wild tendrils of her hair with little result. His own hair was a literal bird's nest; what was he trying to accomplish?

"Soon." He promised, his usual jovial tone taken down a notch.

"Always."

Her entire goal for most of her life had been solely to get to the tournament to see Jin, and she'd succeeded. It was more than expected, but the fact she had to say goodbye to her brother once more, even if it was on much more optimistic terms was heart-wrenching.

Pulling away Kazane stole a glance up at her brother, tears and a smile burgeoning as she took in the blindingly wholesome grin he was sporting.

Kazane stepped out towards Yusuke as the others hugged and said their goodbyes to Yukina and Genkai, and even with what she was sure the greaser thought was an intimidating expression there was a flicker of something behind his brown eyes.

"Skip detention, but at least put in the bare minimum," Kazane said half-heartedly, her grin growing with Yusuke's.

"I always do."

The two stood in silence for a moment before they both moved at the same time, wrapping arms around each other in unison.

The idea of not having Yusuke around was harder than she imagined, but with the gift of knowledge on what would come Kazane calmed her emotions with the fact that they'd be seeing each other relatively soon if things progressed as they should.

As much as she hated to admit it, and she never would aloud, she'd miss mornings with his crabby complaints, neglecting to clean up after himself, and the coarse way he expressed affection. Genkai was similar, but it just wasn't the same. She couldn't tease the psychic like she could Yusuke.

His arms tightened around her for a brief moment before letting her go, a pink flush creeping up his face at the fact that he had probably done more than a dumb bro-hug, and Kazane pulled back, ruffling his slicked back dome while standing on tip-toes.

"Hey!"

"I know we're out in the middle of literally nowhere, but do me a solid and come visit at some point. Okay?"

They were both so bad at expressing any kind of emotion unless the other was literally on the verge of death, and as the others began making their way towards the steps Kazane shot Yusuke a look, both brows raised ridiculously high.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say," Yusuke replied, his tone in complete juxtaposition with the look on his face.

Kazane watched the retreating backs of all her companions, thinking back on the last month and a half.

It was weird, in all honesty. Things were vastly different than they had been sixty days ago. In the beginning, her and Hiei were at each others' throats, both of them spitting insults like they were nothing. Kurama was infinitely more suspicious of her, and her relationship with Botan and the gals had been virtually nonexistent. Jin wasn't even in the picture.

Going back to an environment, even a comfortable one, without whatever bonds had been formed through life-or-death circumstances was jarring. Wasn't that called trauma-bonding? Or maybe it was something else entirely. Hell if she knew.

Well, it wouldn't be the last time.

Before the sight of Yusuke's figure stepped out of her line of vision Kazane saw him raise a hand in goodbye, not turning to face her, and she blinked back tears as she rejoined Genkai on the porch.

* * *

"Obviously you've been slacking."

Genkai parried one of Kazane's blows easily, barely winded from the effort as she kicked the girl's torso with one foot, sending the demoness back several feet.

"Listen, there was a lot going on," Kazane sputtered in defense after catching her breath, knowing that it would do nothing. "At least Kurama and I developed two new attacks."

They were on the grounds of the temple, the old woman moving with more grace than should be allowed. After stretching Genkai called for Kazane to face against her in the yard, and the second the words left the psychic's lips Kazane knew that the day would end with her covered in bruises and sore everywhere.

"Only two?" Bubblegum hair fluttered in the breeze as matching brows rose in mock surprise.

"Yeah, one of which I used to turn the older Toguro brother into a puddle of slime," Kazane retorted sharply, roving a hand across her torso to make sure no ribs were truly broken.

Even at the distance the redhead stood she saw something flicker across Genkai's face, her expression softening for a single moment before returning to the task at hand.

"You have a lot of catching up to do," Genkai finally said, readying into a crouched stance, and Kazane groaned before mirroring the position.

It wasn't that she hated these exercises with Genkai; on the whole she welcomed them. Despite the numerous bruises there was almost always improvement. After the final matches of the tournament, though, she found that her priorities lay with trying to master more of her wind abilities, trying to get the hang of more than just hand-to-hand. Or...knife-to-limb, rather. Seeing Jin's mastery of their element made her jealous as all hell.

She wanted attacks remotely on the same plane as the rest of her friends. Sparring wouldn't help with that.

The two continued in the same manner for ten more minutes, before Genkai 'tsk'd, landing an unrelenting blow to the girl's diaphragm. Kazane felt the air seemingly leave her entire body, and she was launched back against a tree. The collision was the addition of insult to injury it seemed, and as she rasped on the grass anger and irritation rose up.

"You," Genkai began, teak eyes sharp as steel. "Are too impatient. If you never practice the basics over what's the point of developing more powerful moves? You'll be gutted before you even have a chance."

The old psychic was laying into her way harder than usual, both physically and verbally, and Kazane stood back up to full height as she finally caught her breath.

"I'd say my use of the basics was better than most at the tournament."

"I'm not talking about the tournament," Genkai snapped. "I'm talking about the future, something that you seem to be avoiding as of late."

Why the fuck was Genkai acting like this? She was harsh when training anyone, of that there was no doubt. But now it almost seemed like she was disappointed with Kazane.

At that thought sickly indigestion bubbled in the redhead's stomach, as well as shame-induced rage.

"_It's clear Genkai wasted her time with you."_

"_A half demon, hardly capable of keeping up with those around her."_

Elder Toguro's words sprang unbidden without even asking, still fresh in her mind. At the time she had been trying to focus on surviving as well as tearing him to pieces. Even with her attention diverted, however, his biting remarks still stung. Now Genkai's demeanor seemed to parrot what he had been saying, and the idea of being anything close to a failure to the old woman was too much to bear.

"Well sorry if I was too preoccupied with almost dying to give a flying fuck, thanks to you no less!" She spat.

The wind around them was picking up, and Genkai took note of it, a small, pleased smile barely visible on her lips. At the sight Kazane stilled, and the subtle grin was gone so quickly she almost thought it was a trick of the eye.

"If you have something to say to me then say it."

Kazane inhaled sharply, darting forward at Genkai at insane speeds. Her fans were now taken out from their holsters, and she launched gust after unrelenting gust at her guardian, driven by a mixture of rage, shame, and despair. Genkai dodged easily, somersaulting and hopping out of the way as the sharp blasts of wind decimated the surrounding ground and trees.

She didn't want to talk about the conflicting emotions that had been slowly building since Genkai had reappeared; the relief and happiness at seeing her surrounded by friends. The anger so strong it shook her limbs at hearing Genkai speaking to younger Toguro.

"You knew it was going to be me!" Kazane cried, her words accented by cuts of air. "You damn well knew, and you still said that stupid shit to Toguro."

Genkai skirted outside the redhead's range of attack. "Sorry if I find the fate of all of human world more important than your second life."

Kazane let out a shriek, relying entirely on instinct as she maneuvered around the clearing. Her movements were getting sloppy, now entirely driven by her emotions instead of logic, and it didn't take long for Genkai to use it to her advantage, sweeping gracefully at Kazane's legs to knock her off balance.

The redhead barely had time to blink before a glowing palm hit her square in the chest, and she was rocketed back nearly twenty feet. Bark cracked and fell as she impacted the tree behind her.

"Your greatest weakness can become your greatest strength," Genkai began, slowly walking towards her. "Something Yusuke never realized, and he had to learn the hard way. It's something you also seem to have trouble with, even though you're ready to land on death's doorstep again like you miss it."

Her words were biting, and Kazane felt them all the way down to her bones, her previous emotions fading alongside the sharp pain of inhaling. Still no ribs broken, and the psychic had been aiming for them all afternoon. Hurt like a bitch, though. There was probably bruising.

"Judging from the look on your face at the tournament, and your anger now, it didn't have an outcome you expected."

Genkai's words were softer, quieter, and Kazane pointedly looked away into the shade of the forest.

This whole spar was a farce, meant to bring out the underlying irritation she felt at her guardian. It was simultaneously a stupid and ingenious move, because no doubt Genkai knew that without some amount of forceful prodding she wouldn't have gotten the truth out of the redhead.

"It was supposed to be Kuwabara," She said, not moving from where she sat at the tree's roots. "It would have been fine; Kuwabara would have gotten stabbed and one way or another he would've been alright."

"And you didn't predict this change?"

Kazane glared, spitting on the long blades of grass. "I told you, I can't predict things when it comes to me. I know one way things turn out."

Genkai mulled over her words for a second, face as still as stone.

"And you're upset because...?"

Kazane wanted to rage, wanted to blast their entire perimeter into nothing but stumps and fragmented tree limbs, but despite the feeling she stayed still. She ran a hand through her hair, strands freed from her ponytail, before moving to palm over her face. Fingers massaged her temples, and she let out a wet sigh.

"Because...I don't know, I thought maybe I meant something more than a sacrifice for a Toguro."

The sound of bent blades of grass registered, and at first Kazane thought it was just the wind before a palm pressed against her head. She looked up, and in Genkai's eyes was some sense of conflicting emotion.

"You kept an old crone from becoming lonely," Genkai repeated, mouth drawn into a frown. "Yes, you are important to me, but Yusuke's problems span out beyond whatever vague familial ties have been formed. Besides, you're the one who walked onto the field like it meant nothing."

"Either Toguro wouldn't have aimed for Kuwabara's vital points or he was just a lousy shot," Kazane deflected. "He would have been fine." She paused for a moment, swallowing. "I was banking on that."

Genkai stayed still for a moment, taking in her words before huffing. She turned, removing the palm from the redhead and began heading back towards the temple. It was late afternoon now, and the sun was dipping closer towards the horizon.

"It's time for lunch," Genkai said, not turning.

Kazane slammed her head back against the splintered bark, squeezing her eyes shut.

* * *

As the week continued, it seemed that Yukina was determined to try and work for her room at the temple. Not in training, which had begun and was being instructed by Genkai, but in every other aspect.

The first time Kazane had returned to her room and found her futon put away neatly she nearly choked. Her mess of blankets and pillows had been meticulously stacked near the wall, and the small trash bin was emptied. It was a nice gesture, and she appreciated it, but every night she checked the notebook she kept hidden on the bookshelf, terrified that Yukina would potentially read it at some point.

It was never moved as far as she could tell, but the fact the girl was even near to it caused anxiety. She'd need to find a better hiding spot for it.

Yukina's determination to prove her worth also showed itself in the mornings and afternoons.

After Kazane and Genkai had returned to the temple the two of them found Yukina hard at work in the kitchen, a few dishes already set upon the table and a fixed look on the ice apparition's face. Kazane had never really thought about how simple things like cooking with heat would effect her, but even with one burner on it wasn't hard to see the stressed perspiration across her brow.

"Yukina, you really don't have to make meals for us," Kazane tried explaining, and the girl opened her mouth to respond.

"This is quite good, actually," Genkai muttered, looking at the ochazuke before her with appreciation.

"No, really, I want to help out." Yukina clutched the ladle in her hand tightly. "Please."

Kazane acquiesced, albeit reluctantly. Genkai was right; her cooking was really damn good.

Mornings were another story.

Kazane was almost always the first one up, mostly due to her night terrors and insomnia. Cooking in the morning helped to wake up and free herself from the funk of the previous night. It was a routine, and one she had been following for over a decade, mostly a comforting one.

The sight of Yukina in the kitchen at the early morning hours, however, was enough to cause slight irritation, especially with how cranky the redhead already was after waking. Her competitive nature rose to the surface, and the next morning she made sure to awake earlier than normal.

Yukina walked into the kitchen with sleep-bleary eyes, quickly turning competitive and challenging, herself. The next morning the ice apparition was up even earlier, the sight reversed as Kazane walked into the kitchen to find coffee already prepared.

Every morning their roles would switch, each girl waking up earlier than the other until Kazane walked in at barely 4AM to find Yukina asleep standing up near a carton of eggs on the counter, the girl leaning her weight onto the tiling.

Kazane smiled softly, nudging the girl's shoulder.

"How about," She yawned. "I get breakfast and you get everything else?"

Yukina took a few seconds to respond, blinking sleep from her eyes. "Yes, that sounds fine."

She shot the girl a small grin before pouring herself coffee and collapsing into a chair.

Her training seemed to be going well, despite her hesitance to learn. The couple of times Kazane sat in on it she noted that Genkai was actually being pretty gentle with her. No name-calling, no smacks across the back of the head, no dumping her in with snakes. It was a relief to know that the old psychic wouldn't completely shatter Yukina during practice, as that had been her original concern.

The next day the two of them were wandering around the small farmer's market in the nearby town, Yukina watching with interest and wide eyes as Kazane approached a produce stand, weighing certain fruits and vegetables in her hand with a concentrated look.

She was deciding between two different eggplants when a small head peeked out from the side of the table.

"Kaz!"

A small boy with wild black hair came rushing up, and immediately Kazane crouched down to eye level, a smile spreading across her face. Yukina watched hesitantly behind her.

"Hey, kiddo, how's it going?"

"You didn't show up forever!" He pouted, crossing his arms. "What's with that, huh?"

"Sorry, I was busy. I did get you something though."

The small moment of anger on the boy's face cleared immediately, and he reached his hands out. His mother finally took notice, probably wondering what was taking so long for Kazane to make a decision, and she softly chastised him for bothering customers. The redhead just waved a hand easily before producing something from her pocket.

"I got this while I was gone, apparently it wards off bad spirits and demons."

The small talisman in question had actually been snagged from one of the item booths at the Dark Tournament. A simple, if pretty souvenir, and definitely _not_ something that warded off demons. Still, as the red thread and (probably) fake gems caught the light caught the boy's eyes he inhaled, running it over in his hands.

"You've gotta hang it up in your room, otherwise it won't work. I'm sure your mom can help you."

The older woman smiled as Kazane stood back up to pay for the items. "Thank you very much, Kazane. You didn't have to do that."

"Least I could do for you taking pity on me," She joked, and ruffled the boy's hair once before departing for another stand with Yukina.

They walked in silence, the ice apparition now glancing over at Kazane instead of looking around in wonder at the shops and stands. She didn't even have to open her mouth for Kazane to know what she was going to ask.

"His name is Hiro, and his mom is the only person who still gives me fair prices. I'm sure you saw everyone gouging me today; I can't haggle to save my life. His dad's always busy so they don't spend a lot of time together. I usually come here every week so I guess it was a pretty big shock when I didn't show up for a while."

After a moment of silence Yukina finally responded, giving Kazane a small smile.

"I was just going to say that you're very good with children."

Something cool and dark pressed its way into the redhead's chest, and she swallowed down the feeling as she plastered a smile on her face. "Nah, you just talk to them like any other person. No baby talk. It's easy."

"You'd make a good mother, I think."

It was hard for Kazane to remain composed after that, Yukina's compliment hitting her harder than she'd ever thought it would, and the two finished their trip in mostly silence. If the ice apparition thought anything was off she said nothing.

* * *

Keiko showed up Saturday morning bright and early, a duffel bag in one hand.

"I'll have to leave Sunday but I've been to see Shizuru a little," She defended, and Kazane flashed her a grin.

"It's fine, promise I won't pummel you into dirt."

The girl was a quick learner, which didn't come as much of a surprise considering the fact she was, what, top of her class in school? Kazane mulled over it. Wasn't she the student body president or something? Fuck if she could remember at this point.

"Stretching's important, and I do it every day. Pretty much all the time."

Keiko nodded before following along Kazane's warmups, seeming to enjoy the strain of bending and twisting different ways. They were a bastardization of yoga poses brought from Kazane's past life, as well as a few incorporated from Genkai.

It only took one or two walkthroughs of a move or a stance before Keiko could mirror it well, and the redhead felt something akin to pride well up in her chest as she watched her punch at air with a determined expression fixed on her face. After two hours she set up one of the training dummies before the brunette, hovering in lotus a few feet away and commenting on improvements Keiko could make, or better spots to aim for if her flexibility allowed it.

The sun was nearly right above them when Yukina brought out lunch and lemonade, sitting herself down on the grass beside them. Noting Keiko's sweat-laden face Kazane directed small gusts of air at her before biting into onigiri.

"Thanks," Keiko breathed. "I probably should have dressed for this a little better."

"The sun is unrelenting outside the treeline," Yukina replied, understanding in her eyes.

Kazane finished devouring her meal before waving a hand. "You can borrow some of my clothes if you need to. Or use the washing machine. I don't want you going home drenched in sweat."

She took a gigantic gulp of her lemonade before looking up at the warm, appreciative look in Keiko's eyes, and Kazane felt a blush rising to her ears.

"What? Do I have rice on my face?"

"No," Keiko said, shaking her head. "I just wanted to say thank you, for helping me with this."

"It's nothing, really."

Keiko's face fell slightly, and Kazane frowned. Maybe she had said something stupid. In seconds the brunette was offering her an apologetic smile, wrapping her arms around her legs.

"Back when Yusuke first met you I was really jealous," She began, and at Kazane's sputtering she was quick to continue. "But I know now that it's not like that! He would just talk about you a lot, and, well...you're kind of like a big sister to everyone, you know? I get it now."

The demoness grimaced, rubbing the back of her neck. She had expected complaints about training, or talk about Yusuke and her being back to normal life. This was out of the blue and definitely not something she was prepped for. Still, she took another drink and looked out at the treeline.

"I don't know about that."

"It's true."

Yukina's voice was quiet but firm, and Kazane looked up to find the ice apparition staring at her with soft ruby eyes.

"You care so much about everyone, it's really admirable. Most demons aren't like that."

Her last words caused a stir in Kazane's gut, and she found shame now welling up inside of her. She wasn't like that because she wasn't really a demon; her mind was human through and through. A good fight would always get her going, that was true, but more than anything she just wanted to make sure that the ones close to her wouldn't be irreparably fucked up from the events happening.

It just seemed like the right thing to do.

"Thanks," She murmured, not quite able to meet the girls' eyes.

Yukina seemed to note how uncomfortable she looked, and quickly caught Keiko in conversation, letting the redhead fall back onto the grass to stare up at the blue sky.

Only a week, and already she missed Jin. She wanted him here, not only for company but for potential instruction with wind. Nobody would be better to teach her, and despite experimental practice she either needed someone to critique or a partner for the moves she'd been planning.

It actually had been kind of an obsession, growing subtly over the last few days. Kazane would return later and later to the temple, absolutely spent and exhausted from her work in the clearing. It was stupid to think she'd improve significantly in such a short time, but still. It was fucking annoying. She needed to be better.

She missed her boys, too.

Missed the excited look on Kuwabara and Yusuke's faces in the morning before meals, or the way Kurama was primed and prepped and ready to go even at 7AM. She missed their company with a dull ache in her chest, and on some level it felt unhealthy as all hell. Kazane wasn't even supposed to be here, and still she found herself relying so much emotionally on them all. How did this even happen?

"Hey, Kazane?"

Keiko's voice broke her from her reverie, and Kazane sat up quickly, wincing as black spots invaded her vision.

"Sorry, what?"

"I was just wondering if we could practice on each other next."

Keiko's eyes were full of fire, and despite the hesitation Kazane felt she nodded in agreement, giving a smile at the younger girl's beaming grin. Before too long Yukina went back into the temple, her mint kimono slightly blowing in the breeze, and Kazane briefly wondered if this was what having sisters was like.

Instructing Keiko herself was difficult, if only for the fact that Kazane intentionally held back as she blocked and countered the girl's moves. Bruises were inevitable, but anything more than that was too much. She was pretty sure Yusuke would never forgive her if she accidentally broke one of Keiko's bones.

They continued well into evening, and eventually the stars crept out in the night. The two collapsed onto the grass, Keiko looking absolutely spent from the effort of trying to land a punch or kick on the redhead. Despite her lack of spiritual awareness she was trying so hard, and she wasn't a half bad shot. Yusuke would probably be proud.

They both stared up at the night sky as they caught their breath, and after settling into comfortablity Kazane wrapped her arms behind her head, savoring the feel of wind on her skin and the smell of the forest. In the darkness lightning bugs popped up sporadically once again, and she tried to stomp out the feeling in her chest.

"What I was saying before..."

She turned to find Keiko looking over at her, her mouth drawn into a frown.

"Yusuke's always had me. We met when we were little kids, so I think I got jealous when someone new came into his life that he could depend on. He's a big jerk sometimes, but he's got a good heart. I just wanted to thank you for being there for him when I couldn't."

Had Keiko been thinking over this the entire evening the two had been working together? It was one thing to devote your energy to grueling training, but another to do it so well when a thought kept creeping up in your mind. Genkai could always tell when she was distracted.

The darkness made it easier for Kazane to respond, a cover for the shameful blush on her face.

"He's..." Ruffling her hair in irritation she sighed. "He's like a brother to me, and we've both been through a lot of shit. I just don't want him to go through that alone." She turned to face Keiko, flashing the brunette a smile that might not even be visible in the dark. "But I genuinely think he lucked the hell out getting with you, so if he ever does something stupid you let me know. I'll knock some sense into that thick skull."

After a second's pause Keiko laughed, the sound genuine and free, and she mirrored the redhead's position, staring up at the stars with a smile.

"I just hate feeling like I'm powerless, you know?"

Kazane knew that feeling all too well, in more ways than one.

"You're not, even if it feels like it sometimes. It's easy to forget when everyone around you is basically a superhero, but you still have strength, even if it's not physical." Freeing her hair from her ponytail Kazane continued, fanning through the tresses. "Words are actually pretty powerful things."

There was no response after that, and the two settled back into silence, Kazane comfortable despite the night's chill and her light clothing. She wasn't as tired as usual, but still it seemed the forest was trying to lull her to sleep. Trying to sleep at the temple was still miles better than on that stupid island, even if her bed was a literal nest on the ground.

A quiet sniffle sounded beside her, and in the darkness a soft voice replied: "Thanks, Kazane."

* * *

**Note:**

**This chapter was going to be a lot longer, but I've felt monumentally burnt out, so I hope y'all don't mind if this is a _tad_ shorter.**

**Despite a pandemic and everything going on, I hope y'all are doing well. I'm not going to go into detail but I've been _busy_, so I hope you'll forgive sporadic updates. Hopefully this was a slight reprieve from the literal shitstorm happening around us, even if half of it is for good reason.**

**Enjoy this collage or montage or whatever -tage it is; I didn't know a better way to do this. Next chapter might follow the same structure but be a smidge longer.**

**My entire heart to Mediocre Dunces, LetsGoKoby, FLStar, AmericanNidiot, lisaisfire619, and Vienna22 for the reviews. I am constantly humbled.**

**Title credit goes to Missed the Boat by Modest Mouse.**


	21. Cherry Wine

Keiko retreated to the temple not long after that, a wide yawn expelling from her mouth. Kazane waved a hand at her departure before taking a deep breath and beginning to gather the necessities for a fire, ignoring the slight red rim to the girl's eyes. There was a small smile still on her face, though, so that was something.

She didn't know why she was shirking her own solitary training for this, felt like a goddamn stupid idea, but it had been a week and her anxiety hadn't quieted down at all. She needed a moment. Self care or something, right?

Once the fire was finally roaring she sat down near it, savoring the warmth it coated over her limbs and face. Once more she felt that same loneliness as she had earlier. Wrapping her arms around her knees she sighed, lighting up a cigarette and staring into the flames.

It felt weird, after nearly a decade of solitude with only Genkai to suddenly have so many people mutually relying on each other for various things. The one time she rang Yusuke on the phone he wasn't home, but she had kind of expected that. Kurama's note still was left untouched on her desk; there was no plan she could come up with that would mitigate the fear at telling him the truth. He told her from the beginning her would cut her down if she was a threat, and who knew what that constituted. Revealing everything would have to come up eventually, but now being faced with actually going about it was...overwhelming.

Kazane was lighting a stick on fire absentmindedly when a small gust of wind and shadow caught her attention, and she nearly jumped at the black clad figure standing beside her on the grass.

"Saying hello would prevent a heart attack, you know," She quipped, trying to catch her breath.

Hiei rolled his eyes as she tried to quell her heart rate, but it only seemed to escalate as she registered that he was truly there next to her, and he sat down next to the fire. The flames made his eyes seem even more striking, and Kazane swallowed harshly, evergreen and char meeting her senses.

It was weird, like uncharted territory now being with Hiei. Before they had an established routine, and it was miles more comfortable than what was going on now, even if Kazane was internally relieved at what had happened. She had spent so long trying not to admit it.

The silence seemed to have been going on for longer than she thought, as Hiei took it upon himself to start conversation of all things.

"Yukina is staying here."

Well, there went any chance at pleasant conversation at the very least.

Kazane tried to resist physically tensing up, simply taking small drags on her cigarette and not meeting his gaze. It was nice to see him again, but this was not the conversation she had wanted to have upon his return.

In the back of her head she reminded herself that lighting a fire was more from fleeting motivation of seeing him again as opposed to _self care_, and she really should have anticipated this. Dumb idiot. She didn't actually expect him to show up.

"She asked Genkai and she said yes. She's being taught self-defense."

There was some tense undercurrent running through their conversation, and it seemed both of them were tiptoeing around it, avoiding it. Like walking on eggshells. Kazane counted the frantic beats of her heart before shorting out her cig and facing Hiei head on. He could likely hear it, anyway.

"I know, alright. I know, and I won't let anything happen to her. That's why I suggested learning how to defend herself." Hiei opened his mouth to respond, his eyes narrowed, before she held up her palms. "And I'm not going to tell her about you two, even though I don't agree with it."

He closed his mouth, looking away from her towards the fire in silence, and Kazane wanted to palm her head in her hands. Maybe she should've said nothing instead, but still. Passive-aggression irritated her to no end, and if they were going to be...something, then better to have pretty open communication, right?

"How do you know? Did the detective tell you?"

Maybe not, though.

"No, Yusuke hasn't said a word to me about it, even after he told me what happened. It's obvious Kuwabara has no fucking clue, otherwise he'd be a mess. Kurama is tight-lipped, but that's typical of him."

Hiei's mouth was a thin line at this point, the taut set of his shoulders illustrating just how fine a line she was walking here.

"You two have similar eyes," Kazane said softly, and at this he glanced over. "Not the same, though. Her's are soft, more like a garnet. Yours are...more intense. There's heat behind them, which I guess makes sense."

This whole conversation was a fucking mistake, there was no way that Hiei wouldn't feel some sort of something at her admonition. It felt wrong to omit truths to him, and he admitted before he could hear upticks in her heart rate. She wasn't good at lying to him enough to make it convincing, not when she couldn't control her body's natural reactions, and so, a half truth. Convincing only because it was honest in a way. Still, though. She wasn't ready yet.

"I told you I don't care in the medic tent, and I mean it," She continued. "I don't give a shit about your past or any of our friends', or where you come from and all that." Chewing on her lip she looked over at Hiei. "I'm...I'm glad you're here, okay? I've kind of been going crazy since everyone left."

After making sure that Hiei was still staring into the fire she swallowed her pride and gripped her leg.

"I missed you."

It took a beat of silence before his eyes widened, and in the dim light Kazane could see the faintest blush she had ever seen begin to grow on his cheeks and ears. The fleeting sight was quickly covered up by Hiei clearing his throat and ducking his face out of her line of view.

"Nonsense," He muttered, but the tone behind his voice caused a grin to spread on her face.

After telling him to stay put for a few moments she quickly traipsed back into the temple, softly padding into the kitchen and taking out a covered plate from the fridge. In no time at all she was back at his side, and she gently dropped the plate onto Hiei's lap, the fire demon recoiling slightly at the chill of the ceramic.

He lifted up the foil, casting a suspicious glance at her before his eyes widened slightly once more, and he immediately grabbed one of the salmon onigiri before stuffing it into his mouth.

"You don't look too malnourished but you never know," Kazane teased, nearly beaming when Hiei rolled his eyes in response, the huff coming from his mouth muffled by the rice.

She was acting like a gigantic fucking loser, all because they kissed and she hadn't seen him for a week since. Was this what it was going to be like now? The idea was so foreign to her, and completely against her usual solitary ways. God, what if he thought she was too much? How would the gang go on with their missions if the two of them broke up and had an ex-lover's quarrel or whatever at every meeting?

At the thought of lovers Kazane nearly dropped her head into her hands. What the fuck was she thinking?

"You," Hiei began, his soft voice breaking her spiraling thoughts. "Think too much."

The plate was now empty, and she would have been surprised at the fact had it not been for his words.

"That's almost a compliment, you know."

Hiei fixed her with a stare. "No, it's not. Overthinking and overanalyzing will get you killed in battle."

Despite the slight humor behind them, his eyes still held a small bit of steel, and a frown formed on Kazane's face.

"Kurama does the same thing," She argued, and once more Hiei huffed air sharply out his nose.

"You _and _Kurama both have an irritating tendency to get injured because of that fact."

Another amused look crossed his face as Kazane tried to stifle the grimace on her own, crossing her arms stubbornly. Whatever, they both won their matches in any case.

Well, she had been itching for someone to talk about techniques with, right? And Genkai still seemed too irked with how little practice she'd had during the Tournament to help.

Kazane launched into explanation on the solo training she'd been attempting for the past week, detailing the difficulties and blocks experienced along the way. It turned out that experimenting on your own was nice in one way; totally free to do whatever she wanted and with no agenda or anyone to bark at her for being too slow. It was also terrible in another; she was fucking awful at structure, and most of the time would get too distracted by something to make any real headway. That was the main reason she had wanted Jin there, in all honesty. He'd keep things light and fun, but there was no doubt he knew a ton more than she did.

"Okay, but just think about if I could actually get the hang of shaping wind on the edges of my blades. I can already kind of do that with my fans but it's way different trying to bend it around an object, kind of like making a fixed projectile off of it. Yeah, I'd have to readjust my strikes to compensate for a longer blade, but-"

Hiei hadn't said a word the entire time she had gone off, and she'd been talking for nearly half an hour, just rambling on with no end in sight. She finally glanced over, and the look in his eyes took her off guard.

She had his attention, that much was true, but the way he was staring at her made her feel that same sensation in her spine, and any words previously planned swiftly evaporated as she was stunned into silence.

"Um," She hesitantly began. "Sorry, I kind of just rambled forever."

One blink was all it took for the smoldering look to disappear from his features.

"The technique is doable, I've seen it a few times before. Accomplishing that on your own is difficult, however."

"Well," Kazane sputtered, growing more irritated by the second. "I don't know what to do, okay? I need...a teacher." She sighed softly, palming a hand through her hair. "I wish Jin was here."

An awkward silence consumed them after her words, and she saw Hiei look out into the surrounding darkness instead of her, or the fire. Did her relationship with her brother really make him so uncomfortable? She could understand it, in a way, but she had hoped that at the very least a visual depiction of demon siblings would help him get over his fear of revealing the truth. Some example that demons didn't have to tear each other apart for no reason.

"What have you been up to?" She asked slowly, feeling like this whole conversation wasn't going anywhere near as well as she'd hoped. Open mouth, insert foot, she supposed. Fucking idiot.

A nonchalant shrug was her answer, and she watched with fascinated eyes as Hiei cupped some flames in his palm like it was nothing more than air, amplifying it sporadically before dimming it down.

"Petty crimes, nothing of importance. There have been some pests loitering around Tokyo."

At first Kazane thought he was referring to lower demons that had straggled behind after the tournament, but a few seconds passed before her eyes widened.

He wasn't talking about demons, he was talking about fucking bugs. Her breathing hitched, her gaze becoming unfocused.

"What do they look like?" She ignored the sharp look he sent her way. "_What do they look like?_"

Hiei extinguished the flame in his hand. "Similar to the Makai insects from months ago, no doubt a cousin species. Why?"

It had been only a week, she hadn't expected things to go into motion so quickly. The days had kind of blurred together, but by the point the next arc started she had expected to have something new under her belt. Now it was approaching more rapidly than expected, and there was little to show for it. At least Keiko had some semblance of self-defense at this point, as well as Yukina. They were nowhere near well-equipped enough to handle something on their own though.

Kazane didn't even realize her heart rate was going fucking bonkers before Hiei gently shook her.

"What, woman?"

She stood up to full height, still not making eye contact with the demon next to her.

"We need to head to Tokyo. This is bad."

A hand gripped her sleeve, forcefully bringing her back down to a seated position, and she turned on Hiei, opening her mouth to launch a series of furious explanations. The look he shot her silenced them, however.

"I didn't come all the way out here to leave right away, you know. That idiotic prince will call for Yusuke when he's needed, and by extension, you."

Her first instinct was to argue with him, but as she digested his words Kazane felt that sensation again, a warmth settling in her chest. He did decide to come all the way out here after spending a week in Tokyo. That meant something, didn't it? And he was still here.

Botan hadn't called the temple as far as she knew, and she definitely hadn't just shown up, and so nothing crazy had happened yet. There was still time, even if just a little.

Reclining slightly Kazane let out a frustrated sigh, trying to savor the warmth of the fire and the demon next to her. Her nerves were shot but there wasn't much use causing a ruckus in the middle of the night.

"Okay," She said, and as she glanced over at Hiei he took note of her expression, his own unreadable. "But you're helping me with my training."

"Fine."

* * *

Kazane didn't really know when she had succumbed to unconsciousness, all she knew was that when she awoke she was in her futon, only a few blankets wrapped around her figure. There was light filtering through the window, but the presence of one fire demon was gone as she looked around. Even still, his scent lingered in her room. It was actually...kind of nice in all honesty.

Getting up and moving towards the bookshelf she withdrew the worn and creased notebook hidden there, leafing through the pages until she got to the ones she was looking for.

She could only hope that once things started going it would jog her memory a bit more. Things were getting hazy, and her anxiety was creeping up.

A soft knock on the door caused her to jump, and Kazane hastily shoved the book back on the shelf as Yukina peered into the room, a small smile on her face.

"I'm glad you're awake. You slept for much longer than usual, so I prepared breakfast. I hope you don't mind. Keiko is waiting for you in the kitchen."

There were too many thoughts buzzing around in her brain to feel irritated with the girl, and it was a sweet gesture.

"Thanks, Yukina. I'll be out in a sec."

The door slid closed softly, and Kazane ran a hand through her hair in frustration. Maybe she really should have become a nutty recluse like Genkai.

Speaking of the old psychic, despite the last spar the two of them had, her guardian had been sparse the last few days. Not even a hint of her energy around the main areas of the temple, aside from the times she was instructing Yukina. There was a smaller building out a mile or two, but it had never been used as long as Kazane had been there except for storage. If Genkai wasn't around this morning then she would wander out there to double check. Hopefully she hadn't irritated the old woman enough to just fuck off for who knew when.

Keiko was seated at the table, annihilating the fish and miso as politely as possible. Kazane had never seen someone eat so rapidly yet with grace. It made sense, training had probably left her exhausted and ravenous. The brunette gave her a smile as Kazane went to pour herself a cup of coffee, a flash of bubblegum hair from the corner of her eye making her pause.

"I suppose the tournament jump-started your relationship with Hiei," Genkai said unashamedly, and Kazane had to fight to not drop the cup in her hands. "Do as you like but if he breaks my temple you're out on your ass."

With that the old woman departed the kitchen, leaving three furiously blushing girls to stand stock still.

"I-I thought I sensed Hiei's energy," Yukina stuttered, trying her best to give the redhead a reassuring look. "I m-mean, it's wonderful that you two-"

"Nope, absolutely not," Kazane interrupted, mopping up spilled coffee from the floor. "Appreciate you both dearly, but it is _too_ early for this shit." She collapsed into a chair and cradled her head in her hands. "Damn that old woman."

Keiko mumbled something about using the shower and absconded from the room, looking as uncomfortable as Kazane felt. Thankfully Yukina said nothing else, just sat a full plate and bowl down in front of the girl who began stuffing her face like her life depended on it.

For as much nervous energy was humming in her veins, she had least had a plan. Say farewell to Keiko, then go figure out what the fuck Genkai was up to. Train with Hiei until who knew when, then maybe try phoning Yusuke again? Or Kuwabara? She wanted to be up to date on what was going on.

Kazane helped Yukina with the dishes before slipping her shoes on and stepping out into the sunlight. It was humid, and the sun was as strong as ever, but it was nice. Better than winter any day, really, though she did love the sight of snow. Keiko stepped out from the temple, her duffel bag in one hand and a nervous smile on her face, hair damp and giving off wafts of green apple scent. Kazane snatched up the bag easily, motioning for them to head towards the bus stop even as the younger girl protested.

The walk there was mostly silent, aside from Kazane humming softly and kicking larger rocks away from their path. When they were nearly halfway there Keiko finally spoke.

"Thank you so much, Kazane. I feel like I've learned a lot, and I can't wait to practice at home."

The redhead rubbed the back of her neck. "Like I said, it's nothing. Just make sure your parents don't freak out if they catch you practicing a high kick, alright?"

Keiko let out a soft laugh, casting an appreciative glance her way, but her face fell almost immediately after. Something was on her mind.

"Something up? I didn't bruise you too bad did I?"

Hesitantly Keiko shook her head, her eyes fixed on the road before them.

"I know it's not really my place, but..." Bow shaped lips pursed as her brow knit. "Yusuke told you about...Hiei, right? About how they first met?"

Oh.

Kazane should have expected something like this. No doubt after Hiei had used her as a hostage Keiko would feel uncomfortable anywhere in his presence, and now Genkai had dropped the bombshell that Kazane and Hiei were...something.

"He did," She began, frowning. "And I'm not gonna make excuses for his behavior, because what he did was wrong and probably didn't do wonders for your mental health."

She paused. Anything she said afterwards did sound like an excuse, or an explanation, or whatever the hell. At least Keiko had valid reasons for disliking Hiei, whereas Jin just...didn't like the thought of anyone making out with his younger sister.

Which, honestly, was also kind of fair. Even if she was in all reality an adult. Ugh.

"He's trying. I don't know what was the catalyst for giving up being as _big_ of a jerk, but he is." She cast a sympathetic glance over at the brunette. "I'm sorry if that made you uncomfortable."

Keiko vehemently shook her head. "No, I'm okay. I just..."

"Hiei's been pretty...good to me, I guess you could say. For him, I mean," Kazane added. "He saved my life, so...and if it makes you feel better Yusuke basically gave his blessing...with an addendum." She grimaced recalling at his unconcealed threat.

It seemed her attempt at humor and lightening the mood helped, for Keiko smiled, a small giggle escaping her lips. Well, better keep it up.

"Gotta be honest, though, I'm kind of glad Botan isn't here because knowing her she'd go off the deep end planning a wedding or some shit, and I don't even...well, yeah."

That got another laugh out of Keiko, and she glanced over at Kazane once before settling on a much calmer expression.

"Well that's true. Just as long as you're okay."

The two settled into silence once more, Kazane with an uncomfortable warmth in her chest, and before too long they both stood before the bus stop. The brunette waved away her offer to hangout until the bus came, and after Kazane bade the girl farewell she was surprised to find arms wrapped gently around her.

It took a second to reciprocate the gesture, but Kazane easily took the girl in her own arms for a moment before flushing and turning to head back towards the temple grounds.

She had wanted to make some sort of friendship with Keiko, but in all honesty had been a little intimidated by her. Yeah, she didn't have any spiritual energy, but whenever she slapped Yusuke it made Kazane wince, and she was sharp as a tack.

Women were just a little more intimidating than men, truth be told.

But even with how awkward Kazane felt around other women initially, Keiko proved to be an easy person to get along with, and paid no mind to how crude or coarse she was. Probably because she had to deal with Yusuke for most of her life. Her words echoed around in the demoness' head as she made her trek back, a smile spreading across her lips. Keiko really was a force to be reckoned with.

It took maybe thirty minutes for her to make her way through the brush towards where the second building was, and the second she stepped onto the wood of the small porch the feel of three unfamiliar energies met her own. They weren't muffled by any means, and among them Genkai's own burned as steadily as ever. Disregarding a knock she slid the door open.

She stood in the doorway, staring back as the three younger boys gaped at her, and took note of Genkai's soft huff.

It was weird seeing them in the flesh. Kaito's black hair was as poofy as ever, and jet black. For all of her prior memories she couldn't remember the other two's names to save her life, but the goofy looking boy with purple hair did look like some personification of a broomstick. The blonde hunched over catching his breath went slightly pink.

"Ditching me for some middle schoolers, scandalous," Kazane teased, her voice more deadpan than humorous. Or were they high schoolers now? Who knew, time was a construct and one she didn't really pay much attention to.

"Boys, this is my second laziest student," Genkai fired back, teak eyes sharp. "Her name is Kazane."

Immediately the three boys bowed, doe eyes looking over her with fascination and...respect? What the fuck was that about?

"At least I put in the work." She strode across the space, seating herself down next to Genkai as the psychic barked at the boys to get back to work. She smirked at their slightly trembling limbs; Genkai did have that effect on others. "So this is what you've been up to."

"Not a word to Yusuke or your newly-minted boyfriend," She snapped, making Kazane flush once more. "Or the others; I'm going to be conducting a test. I was hoping you'd be too busy to figure it out, but I suppose that just proves your supposed knowledge."

Well, that just confirmed why Genkai had decided to instruct them all the way out here. If she was trying to keep it under wraps just in case, then it made sense for her to try and keep Kazane out of the loop, especially if Hiei was now going to be hanging about for however long.

"I won't say anything, but..." She bit her lip as Genkai looked over in interest. "Don't let broomhead over there impersonate me, please."

Her guardian said nothing, simply raising her brows to ask for an explanation, and after a sigh the redhead obliged.

"He can copy someone down to their memories, right? I don't want anyone unnecessary to know about me or my past, and I really don't want my bullshit transferred to him."

Genkai simply 'hmm'd in agreement, taking consideration of her words. It was kind of remarkable how stoic her face was even in the wake of Kazane knowing things she shouldn't; any time information was dropped the most her guardian would do was raise an eyebrow, or let out an amused huff that could be taken for a laugh. Her eyes had only widened once as far as she could remember.

Genkai was as still and immovable as stone sometimes. Kazane was jealous as fuck.

"Anyway, have fun with the boy scouts," She said half-heartedly, raising from her seat. "I can bring you all something after dinner if you want."

Her guardian said nothing, a sure sign that she would actually appreciate some well-crafted meals. What had she been feeding the boys? Granola bars? How long had they been here? Kazane hadn't seen her make anything pretty much the entire time she'd been at the temple, though that had mostly been due to her own insistence to cook. Maybe she was a great chef, who the fuck knew?

Her gait slow and relaxed she took her time walking along the foliage and snorted at the thought. Nah, no way someone could be that good at so many things.

Hiei was resting against a tree as she approached the decimated clearing, his eyes raking over her with something akin to exasperation.

"Well, you certainly took your time."

"Had some things to take care of, and I need to stretch still so it'll be a minute."

He said nothing, just closing his eyes and relaxing back as she dipped into stretches. Some of them were a little more...expositive than others, and as she slid easily into downward dog her eyes never left his face. After a few seconds a smirk spread on his face.

"Rest assured, woman, I'm not looking."

Her eyes rolled once more. Even they were getting a workout. "You and your Jagan can shut up."

It was way harder to maintain the poses and stretches with Hiei near, and she continually cursed as she powered through them, not caring if he could hear them. If she didn't project her thoughts or allow him into her mind could he still hear things?

Kazane stretched up a leg up so close to her head it would make most people vomit, doing her best to make the image of Hiei adorned in frilly lace and ribbon the forefront of her mind, a smile on her face. Not intending to send it out to him, but just letting it linger there. As his face remained impassive she realized that either he was amazing at keeping up a stoic appearance or he really couldn't see her thoughts. Did he see them or hear them? She thought mostly in visuals.

Mind reading was fucking dumb, made no logical sense.

"Alright, so how are we going to make my goals come to fruition?" She asked, a hand affixed to her hip as she stood back up to full height. She really did love how her body felt after stretching; almost like a snake, or she was made of rubber. No way she could do that in her old life.

Well, that was what came from working out nearly every day, as much as she loathed it.

Kazane watched with interest as Hiei pushed off from the tree, unsheathing his sword and lighting it on fire with barely a second thought.

"You are going to extinguish my sword with only the use of wind."

"What, like make a little breeze?" She teased, grin spreading at the sight of his irritated, twitching brow.

"Channeling your element should be second nature, so we'll start with you using your knives as a point to start. If you can't send it off your blade then there's no use trying to use your power to elongate the edge."

It was kind of a surprise that Hiei could be so eloquent or on-point when talking about offensive maneuvers, but it made sense in another way. Usually he was just so confident in himself and talking shit to anyone vaguely threatening, but that confidence came from years and years of trial and error, of really figuring out what worked for him. It was admirable, especially since Kazane herself had been just kind of fumbling through it, aside from the early time spent with Genkai, and more recent time with Kurama. And for as formidable as Genkai was she wasn't too much help on helping her implement the laundry list of attacks she wanted to explore. Martial arts and flexibility were her bread and butter, and Kazane had taken to it like a duck to water, but aside from theories there was little the psychic could help with her wind.

Hiei crouched into a familiar stance, and Kazane reciprocated, that same giddiness flowing in her as they launched into attack. There still wasn't a main reason she could pinpoint on why sparring with Hiei was so elating; they were both speedy, sure, and he was as challenging of an opponent she could ask for. Maybe it was the fact that when they were let loose it also left their energies relatively unbridled, or maybe it was that Kazane knew that despite all her tactics Hiei would respond without much mercy, having faith that she would parry his blows. The one time she didn't he even attacked her with the nonlethal end of his weapon, a mercy in itself.

It was hard trying to channel wind down her blades; they were made of steel, completely different than the fans also on her hip. The fans at least amplified the gust, adding to the level of destruction and letting her direct them wherever she saw fit. It necessitated a pretty damn good amount of control, and while hovering, jettisoning along an opponent, and aiming gusts with her fans also required that, it seemed totally different using something as rigid and immobile as steel as a conduit. At least her body and fans were flexible.

It took a few hours before Kazane even extinguished a portion of his blade, and by that point she was irritated and bitchy. This felt like it should come easy to her; most anything with wind did. What the fuck was going on?

"We'll break for now," Hiei said stiffly, and Kazane silently sank underneath a tree, feeling like this whole endeavor was for nothing and she was a failure.

Cheating would be so easy, but she didn't want to try that with how earnestly Hiei was putting himself into their spars. One little gust with her hand would be all. This was dumb.

"Ughhhh," She groaned. "Fuck."

The demon said nothing, simply gauging her with a heavy look.

"This should be simple," She complained, wiping sweat from her brow. "I don't get why this is so hard. When I use my fans or hands wind just goes wherever I want."

"Using different tools can prove difficult. You're...making progress."

It was as much of a compliment as she was going to get. Taking several deep breaths Kazane squeezed her eyes shut before returning to her feet, readying into a crouched stance. If they were going to keep at it then better to do it when she wasn't completely spent.

"Well, c'mon. Daylight's wastin'."

* * *

"Hey, thanks."

Hiei glanced over at Kazane, taking in her absolutely exhausted expression and falling eyelids. They'd been out in the clearing nearly all day, and despite how upset she evidently was she still got back up on her feet and continued, relentlessly. They had only taken one true break, and even that was for fifteen minutes. It was a mark of how much of Genkai's training she'd endured, no doubt, and her own sheer stubbornness.

"Think nothing of it," He said softly, trying not to think about how close she was in proximity to him.

They were both sat under an immense tree, gouges and gashes adorning the bark no doubt from when she had been practicing all these years. The branches were long and numerous, but there was a clearing above that offered a good view of the sky. Her energy had been practically imprinted on this place with how much time she spent here.

He was supposed to be confined to Tokyo, per Koenma's orders. Still, he had come out in the middle of nowhere and helped her with training. It was...something. A different routine than they were used to, but...nice. As much as he hated to admit it. Like something he wasn't allowed to have.

She was relentless, even with sweat dripping from her brow and her muscles no doubt aching from fatigue, she still persevered. Stubborn as a fool. It had taken nearly all day, but she had finally done it when the sun was close to the horizon, letting out a ridiculous crude cheer at the accomplishment. Once she had gotten the hang of emitting wind off her blades it wasn't long before she was parrying _and_ extinguishing nearly every blow. The entire time they were sparring he frequently pushed her; hoping to instigate some improvement as well as the expression of rage she wore at the tournament.

There was something to be said about the sight of Kazane covered in blood, incisors bared, wind whipping around her.

Now she was nodding off next to him, her head dipping towards her chest and her eyelids fluttering. A completely different scene.

Her eyes could be so cold, true to their tone, as could her words. Still, she burned. Hot and fast and angry, quick with a remark or insult. It was strange that wind was her element, because if he didn't know better he'd peg her as a fire apparition any day.

Well, wind was flexible, and so was she. He'd seen the many faces she wore around the others.

It was truly a shame that Genkai didn't have any elemental prowess, although that was to be expected, even for a human as well-regarded as she was. It wouldn't take much for Kazane to grow considerably in skill; it would just take someone showing her how to fundamentally channel her element properly, and it was clear she could catch on quickly with the right guidance. It would be a logical move, having Jin there to guide her, as much as he disliked the demon.

He'd have to do for now, Hiei supposed.

After the third time Kazane nodded off she finally groaned, opening her eyes as wide as they would go and stretching her arms above her head.

"Okay, I've gotta get up before I pass the fuck out; Genkai needs dinner."

Hiei frowned. "I thought Yukina was handling meals."

She palmed out the knots in her hair before tying it up atop her head. The motion caused the scent of jasmine to meet his nose. "I promised to make something for her tonight, and you have no idea how bitchy she gets when she's hungry."

He was about to lean back against the bark once again, but the expression on her face caught his attention. Again she was doing her ridiculous nervous habit he had picked up on quickly; some approximation of moving her fingers in a certain order. It was amusing how often she did it around him, he wondered if she was even aware of it.

"How much do you like sleeping outside?"

Hiei's brows knit together before responding. "I prefer it to most human comforts. Why?"

He watched as the point of her shoe ground into the dirt, the way she wasn't meeting his eyes.

"Well...I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to hangout for a bit longer once I'm done." She swallowed nervously. "I'm too tired for a fire but you've never really spent time in my room in the temple, right?"

Her face was completely flushed, and Hiei smirked before replying.

"Fine, I suppose I can deal with it for one night."

Kazane's reaction to his words was almost visceral, her shoulders falling slack and a relieved look crossing her face as she nodded slowly, shooting him a small smile before darting off into the slowly-encompassing darkness.

For all of her bravado and sarcasm it was infinitely amusing to observe how much of an affect he had on her.

* * *

Kazane balanced the many plates across her arms and shoulders, feeling thankful for the years of waitressing in her previous life. If she took up the job now there was no doubt she could carry twice what she could decades ago.

Training with Hiei was tiring work, and she was absolutely spent. Still, it was nice to see some improvement, especially with how disheartened she was feeling at trying to figure shit out herself. She wished Jin had a phone or something, then she could just call him and ask questions. Or even just hear his voice. Technology in the 90s was so lackluster compared to the era she had come from; computers and videogames were expensive as fuck, and most people just had house phones. If she hadn't spent so much time around Genkai or training in general she'd probably be bored beyond all belief.

It was weirdly nostalgic and also frustrating as all hell, since she was (originally) a 90's kid. The nostalgia she felt at just the fashion was almost tangible.

She knocked gently on the door before sliding it open, taking amusement in the three boys' faces as they lay sprawled on the wood. On the sidelines Genkai watched with a barely annoyed expression, a flicker of something behind her teak eyes as she took in the many plates Kazane appeared with.

"Well you certainly put effort into this," She commented dryly, wasting no time as a plate was laid before her.

Kazane set multiple plates before each of the boys, a sense of pride welling up as they began devouring the meal rapidly. Kaito was almost on par with Kurama in his sense of politeness, but he still brought each bite up to his mouth in rapid succession. Broomstick-Boy let out an unnerving groan after the first bite before digging in with even more enthusiasm. Blondie was eating so quickly it made Kazane almost want to gag.

"What are you feeding these boys?" She asked incredulously, casting a glance over at the old psychic. "You do know they need to eat, right?"

Genkai huffed, not even looking up at her as she dug into her dinner. Kazane sat at her side, wincing at the muscles groaning as she stretched her arms and legs.

"I hope you haven't forgotten my words before the tournament."

The demoness stilled beside her, frowning at the memory. When she didn't answer Genkai continued.

"I _hope _you know what you're doing. Demons are dangerous, and getting entangled with them in romance is a far cry from on the battlefield, though not altogether different."

What brought this on? First she had to hear it from Jin, then (kind of, not really) Keiko, and now Genkai, who of all people should know that she had no idea what the fuck she was doing. Why was everyone so insistent on playing the part of counselor? At least Yusuke was supportive.

"I'm part demon in case you forgot," Kazane said, and immediately Genkai leveled her with a stare.

"Please, you're a demon in blood. Everything else about you is human, including your apparent lack of knowledge of demon culture."

The sharp, sarcastic retort that was second nature died in her throat, and she let out a sigh instead. Again Genkai was trying to express concern in her weird, roundabout way. That, and her words were hard-hitting in themselves. Nobody treated her as honestly or as human as Genkai did, and the gesture was enough to put a small lump in her throat. She was always the demon with the fault of humanity, or the other way around. At least to the others.

"Thanks," She said softly. Genkai's eyes scanned over her for a moment before softening.

After the boys had finished their dinners and were laying on the floor like slugs the old psychic stood up, clapping once and barking at them to get to bed. Kazane followed suit, waving lazily at Genkai before heading back out into the night, back towards the main temple.

Her body was essentially screaming for sleep after the events of today; pushing herself with training and then making dinner for three pubescent boys. Her mind whirred with energy, however, especially as she walked through the hallways towards her room.

She slid the door open quietly, her breath catching as she caught sight of Hiei leaned back on her windowsill. How the hell he stayed balanced on those things she'd never know. He was like a cat.

There wasn't a whole lot of furniture in her room, even with the amount of space in it; her folded futon (thanks, Yukina), a desk, bookshelf, and a small couch-like thing pressed near the corner. Thanks to the ice apparition any clothes that ended up laying about on the floor were either put into the washroom or neatly folded away. She'd have to do something nice to repay her.

Kazane slid down the wall underneath where Hiei sat, and before too long he came down beside her, a grimace on his face as he rolled his shoulder.

"Pull something?" She asked.

"Possibly during your training," He replied hesitantly. "It's nothing, I'll heal quickly enough."

Kazane chewed on her lip for a moment before making up her mind.

"Scoot forward," She said ineloquently, impatiently raising her brows when Hiei just looked at her with suspicion. "Come on, trust me."

He did as she asked, although from the stiff set of his shoulders he still didn't in fact trust whatever she was about to do. Within seconds she placed her hands on them, trying to ignore the way his entire body seemed to tense up at her touch.

It wasn't hard to feel out the knots in his back, even through the fabric of his shirt and with her not having done this for literal decades. She focused all of her attention on her ministrations, beginning to hum softly as her palms worked against the spots. She had no idea how chilly her hands had become before this until they were warmed from the heat emanating off his skin. Maybe she had an iron deficiency or something; couldn't be healthy to be so fucking cold all the time.

One of his own came up to grasp her wrist sharply, reaching back, and Kazane broke from her thoughts.

"Stop," He said quietly, seeming to speak through grit teeth.

"What? Did I do something wrong?" Leaning back against the wall she frowned. "Sorry, I guess I should have asked first."

Hiei let out a deep breath and faced her, his expression a mix of irritation and frustration. Instead of responding he merely turned her around, their positions switched as he crudely began trying to mimic what she had been doing seconds ago.

The instant his hands were against her own back a burning sensation engulfed her stomach, the electrifying tingle racing up her spine. It was hard to form coherent thought with the way he tried to roll his palms against her shirt, but even for him not having done this ever he was still gentle enough to not press so hard as to hurt. Her breaths were coming quicker, and realization dawned as she tried to stem the tremble in her limbs.

_Oh_. That's what he meant.

"You have no idea, do you?" He asked, his voice almost a low growl. "How demon energy reacts with another in our situation?"

"U-Uh...No I guess not."

It was hard to speak, even after he stopped, but she didn't turn back to face him. No doubt there was a ridiculous flush across her cheeks, and even as she tried to catch her breath there was some amount of lightheadedness clouding completely logical thought.

Jesus christ, this was like the first time she'd ever made out with someone times ten. What the fuck? Was this what demon relationships were like? Were demon's libidos just off the charts or was it the influence of another demon that brought it out?

It did explain why she was so in tune to his energy when he was around, and even how uncharacteristically flustered she was in his presence.

Hiei moved in closer towards her neck, over her shoulder, his familiar heat washing over her frame. Instead of relaxing her it just put her more on edge.

"Demons resonate with each other in ways humans don't. Physically and..." He paused to move closer to her throat, achingly slow, and Kazane closed her eyes in exasperation. "In their energy. Even you should feel it with your blood."

It took many seconds of Kazane trying to catch her breath to some extent, before she finally turned to face him, finding herself completely speechless at how close he was. Hiei's ruby eyes roved over her face quickly, before he took her cheek in one hand and pressed his lips against hers.

Their first kiss had been fairly innocent; she had just strode up and planted her lips on his, but it was them both testing the waters, both finally being able to say 'this is happening, fuck it'. Well, at least on her end.

The way Hiei was kissing her now was electrifying, some impassioned need barely hidden in the way he was pulling her closer towards him, nearly on his lap. In the way he moved from her mouth down towards her clavicles. In the possessive arm he had snaked around her midsection. As his teeth barely scraped on the pale skin she let out a quiet moan, immediately biting her lip afterwards to stem the sound.

She was a strongheaded, independent woman, but _damn_. It was kind of nice.

That was, until he snaked under her shirt, his tanned hand meeting the scarred and dipped skin on her back, and she immediately pulled away.

It wasn't hard to see the hurt in his eyes, as disguised as he tried to make it, and Kazane ran a hand over her own while she collected herself. She had fucked up again, as she had been doing all night. Go figure. It was when Hiei stood up to full height that she finally spoke, clearing her throat past the tension and awkwardness that threatened to envelope her.

"Hey, I'm sorry, okay?" She wanted to tear her hair out with frustration. "I know this is the stupidest fucking line ever but it's not you; it's me."

Apparently all of Hiei's walls had come up in tandem with his urge to leave, as he let out a derisive snort through his nose.

"Don't tell me you're going to claim virginity after two lifetimes."

Irritation, both with herself and his words came up unbridled. "No, fuck that shit, that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about something else. I'm talking about..."

For lack of a better explanation she roughly pulled up her shirt, exposing her stomach and the purple, winding scarring that worked its way around her torso. It was everywhere, and she didn't want Hiei to touch them, much less view them in decent lighting. He'd already seen it once. But it did get the point across without making even more of a fool of herself.

She felt like a fucking idiot. Going off what he had told her earlier, and her invitation in the clearing then it made sense that he would assume she was hinting at something. She wasn't a chaste virgin; had left that behind decades ago, but insecurity was the biggest cockblock she had ever experienced. And truthfully, she wasn't about to just jump into bed with the demon. All she had really wanted was a quiet moment without training, or a fire, or stars. She was so goddamn tired.

Letting her shirt drop back down Kazane sat against the wall, sighing deeply.

Hiei's brows knit in confusion. "This is because of some scars." It wasn't a question, just a statement, but his words were biting nonetheless. There was disbelief in them.

"Not just 'some scars'," She replied, words acidic as much as she tried to control them. "It's...trauma. It's shit that happened that I need to work through. I mean..." Her words trailed off as tears beaded up in the corners of her eyes, and she blinked furiously. Not the fucking time, tear ducts.

Hiei's face softened a fraction, still stern but much less sharp than it had been seconds ago.

"Scars are a mark of battles won," He said quietly. "It's a mark you survived."

"Yeah, but they're not exactly nice to look at. Besides, it wasn't a battle I won. Surviving and winning aren't the same thing, at least for me." She took a deep breath, trying to get a reign on her emotions. Everything was too much, too fast. Not enough time to think about it.

Hiei's eyes hardened, his mouth now just a thin line. Even from where she sat Kazane could feel the slight ripple in his energy, in the killing intent that had worked its way out from his body. Even with the small amount he let loose it was enough to send chills across her arms, though it wasn't directed at her.

"Then we kill them," He said simply.

She smiled. Killing Rannon would no doubt feel incredible, and his lackeys that lingered on his property. It had been a subtle goal in the back of her mind, completely wiped out by her primary goal of seeing Jin again and dealing with the entirety of bullshit surrounding Yusuke. Still, Hiei's solution seemed so simple, and honestly she wasn't against it...at all.

Maybe her morality really was fucked after all.

"It's more than that," She said honestly. "I guess the best way to explain it is I don't want to taint potential, you know?"

It took a second for her words to sink in, and when it did she saw another brief flush of pink cross Hiei's face, but it was gone as quickly as it had come. She really needed to figure out how the fuck he did that; controlling her blush would be invaluable.

"Potential," He said simply. Deadpan.

"Like I said, this doesn't come easy to me," Kazane explained, looking at the worn wooden flooring instead of him. "I'm not really looking to hook up and dip. I just want some reassurance that it's not going to be...I mean, I want to know that you're gonna stick around."

She was wearing her heart on her sleeve, in full view, and she fully expected him to just turn cloak and leave the room. Maybe he'd go out and sleep in the trees, or maybe he'd just head back to Tokyo altogether. Today was proving to be a monument to how much she could make an ass out of herself, and she wouldn't blame him in the least if he just decided to book it. Even now she was fighting the urge to just leave the room, but she had made a promise to herself to stop running away from every fucking thing.

Oddly enough, Hiei just sighed, a frustrated expression on his face.

"I'm not going to '_dip_', woman. Enough with these blithe human traditions; I wouldn't have come all the way out here for nothing."

Biting back remarks about how this really wasn't about human tradition as much as her own neurosis Kazane bit her lip, taking his words to heart. He was still here, and that meant something, dammit. She just had to have a little faith for once.

Her whole body seemed to collapse as she sighed, patting the space beside her and meeting his eyes with reluctance.

"Okay. Well, come sit back down here. I'm chilly and just want to hangout while you...I don't know, sharpen your sword or whatever the hell you do in your free time."

One final eyeroll for the night from Hiei before he silently returned to her side, pointedly looking out at the room instead of her. Kazane reached out, grabbing one of the candles sitting near her futon space before holding it out in front of him, and with a flick of his hand it was lit. The expression on his face was once again exasperated, but marginally softer.

She stared at the flickering light source, breathing in the scent of evergreen and char. Everything was fucking weird, but at least she could savor small moments like this despite being a giant idiot. The two of them should be on the front cover of every self-help book imaginable, and still they were trying. Inch by inch.

It didn't take too long for Kazane to succumb to unconsciousness, her head resting on Hiei's shoulder, and this time he didn't try to shrug her off.

* * *

**Note:**

**Super dissatisfied with this chapter, so I'm sorry if that bled into it a bit or was apparent. I've been editing over this for the last, like, two weeks.**

**I hope y'all are doing well. I'm hangin' in there. I don't talk about this a lot but I have some pretty prevalent chronic health issues and sometimes it makes doing things (even just writing) hard as hell, especially on top of working 40-50/hr weeks. But I'm doing alright. I hope you are too, and I hope you'll forgive how long it took to get this out.**

**Also I just want to say that if any of you have questions, concerns, or criticisms then please feel free to PM me! I'm writing this solo without a beta, so any input is much appreciated and helps a ton. And if you're interested in becoming my beta then also reach out. Will shower you with love and appreciation, even if I am a stubborn, perfectionist bitch.**

**First bit of the next chapter is more in-between time, then the ball will get rolling with the next plot event. Pacing is hard for me (obviously) so I'm trying to work on focusing more on relationships and more minor characters in the meantime. Our favorite doofus makes a guest appearance.**

**My entire heart and love to Zayren Heart, Vienna22, AmericanNidiot, rsaenz18, and GoSage44 for the reviews. Truly keeps me going.**

**GoSage44: I totally understand your frustration, and since you posted a review on the most recent chapter I'm thankful you stuck around. Toeing the line between being a Mary Sue and being useless is kind of hard sometimes, and I feel I've done Kazane and her abilities much better justice in the last 8-10 chapters.**

**Title credit goes to Cherry Wine by Hozier.**


	22. Autoclave

"Sorry, guess I should'a called or somethin', huh?"

The early morning sight of Kuwabara standing in front of her, an acoustic guitar strapped to his back, was enough to make Kazane wonder if she was actually still asleep. Well, it definitely would be a different dream from the norm. Taking in the light reflecting off his ginger pompadour and the nervous grin on his face, though, this was actually real.

The boy had appeared unannounced right when Yukina, Genkai, and Kazane had been working through breakfast, and it was only the small noise of amusement from the old psychic and the familiar feel of the energy that kept Kazane from bolting out and trying to start a fight, bedhead wild and unhinged.

It was early as fuck and she was trying to eat breakfast. She hadn't had a full cup of coffee; someone coming up to the temple to wreak havoc would have been met with some piss poor attitude for sure. At least Hiei was off doing who knew what, else Kuwabara's chances of being stabbed would've gone through the roof.

"It's fine, but in the future yeah maybe," Kazane admitted, letting him through the doorway. "If only so you don't get blasted ten miles away. No offense."

Kuwabara let out an embarrassed chuckle, his whole face lighting up as he turned the corner into the kitchen, catching sight of Yukina sitting at the table.

"Kazuma!"

"Hey baby! Sorry for just poppin' in, I've got somethin' for ya, though!"

It was actually so cute Kazane could vomit, the way he was so completely enamored with the ice apparition. Just being in her presence was enough to make him practically radiate with joy. He withdrew a small brown bag from his pocket, handing it over carefully with the biggest grin on his face.

"They're a bunch of different medicine herbs; Shizuru helped me pick out which ones."

Yukina let out a soft 'thank you', opening the bag and looking over its contents with interest. Kazane marched over towards the countertop, grabbing an extra plate and filling it with heaping amounts of breakfast. She had made way too much food, there was no way they could eat all the pickled vegetables anyway.

Kuwabara set the guitar across his back against the wall, sitting down eagerly as a plate was laid in front of him, and Kazane cast the instrument a curious look. Definitely had seen better days; the body was chipped and multiple strings hadn't been clipped, dangling off the head like a flyaway hair. It probably wasn't in tune. If the boy was planning on trying to serenade Yukina it wouldn't have sounded great, though she didn't put it past him.

"Thanks for the food, Kazane, I'm starved!"

Genkai had stayed silent the entire time up until now, but as she finished glancing through Yukina's presents she cast a stern gaze on the boy.

"Well, you didn't march up here to give some gifts. What's happened?"

The sheer bluntness of Genkai's words seemed to shock Kuwabara into silence, and Kazane finished her coffee, shooting the boy a heavy stare.

"Must have been something for you to skip out on school. It is Monday, right?" Making a mental map of the last few days and Keiko's visit she nodded to herself. God, she needed to get a grip. Or a calendar.

Kuwabara's hand clenched tightly on the utensil in his hand, and she winced at the groan the metal elicited at the force. His brows were knit, and for the first time Kazane realized that his eyes were actually a cool grey. Weird, seemed more fitting for them to be something warm, like brown.

"I can't use my powers," He said bluntly, looking up to meet Genkai's gaze. "I thought maybe it was from that stupid sword thing Suzuki gave me, and I used it all up or somethin', but it hasn't come back or gotten any better."

Was this canon? For the life of her Kazane couldn't remember. There wasn't a lot of time between the Dark Tournament and Genkai conducting her test, but she had no idea how long of a time span it actually was. It was frustrating as all hell, because as much as she could remember major plot points, or specific scenes, it did nothing to help the more minor moments or when things veered from canon. If the anime could actually be taken for canon. Things had lined up thus far, but who knew?

She just wanted some stability, some reassurance about what was going on. Actually being able to predict the future (any possible future) would help a metric fuck-ton at this point in time.

Trying to bar the thoughts in the back of her mind Kazane fixed her gaze on Kuwabara. "Not even 'the Tickle'?" She asked, barely inserting a teasing tone to her voice.

Kuwabara flushed delicately, frowning. "Urameshi's a brat if he told you and made fun of me for it, but yeah, that's what I call it. I can feel things, to a point anyway, but no matter how hard I try my spirit sword won't appear. I've tried everything, it's just not working."

"Perhaps it's stress," Yukina offered politely, and at her words Kuwabara's face cleared immediately, a smile spreading in agreement.

"I doubt that," Genkai said, her voice harsh. "You were under stress at the tournament and this didn't happen. It's something else."

"Well, whatever it is it needs to knock it off." He crossed his arms, not touching the plate in front of him and glaring a hole into the mound of food. "I didn't train this long just to have it disappear."

Genkai tapped on the table with her finger, seeming to mull over Kuwabara's predicament with eyes unfocused. It took a few moments before she stood up, seeming to come to some conclusion with her thoughts.

"Meet me in the sparring area in an hour; I'll take a look at your energy then."

With that she left the room, and Kazane watched her retreating back with unease in her stomach. Beside her Kuwabara huffed dejectedly, staring at his full plate for a few seconds before starting to eat, the act eliciting a pleased smile from Yukina.

When he had first showed up on the doorstep Kazane immediately internally panicked, wondering if something serious had happened. If Yusuke had been kidnapped at this point then it wouldn't make sense for Kuwabara to board a bus and spend way too long traveling out into the mountains. The sight of an instrument on his back did calm her nerves, because who would bring a fucking guitar to a fistfight?

For as melodramatic as Kuwabara could be he wasn't dumb when it came to fighting. Usually.

She stood up and walked over to the sink, emptying the grounds into the drain before turning to look at the boy.

"Well, we've got an hour to kill. Why don't you fill me in on what you and Yusuke've been up to?"

Kuwabara's plate was now barren, and Kazane wondered how the hell teenage boys could annihilate a meal in minutes. At least they somehow still found a second to enjoy her cooking amongst gorging themselves.

"Okay!"

The two made their way out onto the porch, Kazane immediately heading for the gardens. Everything was finally in full bloom, a myriad of different flowers she could hardly name or identify. At least she wasn't allergic to pollen this time around. It was a wonder how they were kept, because Genkai definitely didn't take time out of her schedule to shear and water them or whatever botanists did. Maybe they had spirit energy in them or something, like Kurama's plants.

Just...friendlier.

Stealing a glance back at the ginger she sat on the grass, eyeing the instrument in his hands.

"You gonna tell me why you brought a guitar all the way out here? Planning on teaching Yukina?"

An embarrassed smile crossed his face as Kuwabara ran his hands over the chipped wood. At first he just mumbled quietly, only raising his voice when Kazane asked what the hell he was saying.

"Urameshi might've mentioned something about how you first came to Genkai's around this time of year. That's just what he told me you said anyway," He added, hesitating a second before continuing. "And I just thought, since you love singin' so much and stuff, a guitar probably wouldn't be too shabby of a gift. I suck at it anyways."

Completely frozen and overwhelmed with emotion Kazane stiffly took the guitar he proferred, eyes wide as she moved it into familiar place.

When was the last time she held something like this? The last time she allowed herself a comfort or hobby that wasn't sparring or maladaptive vices?

It definitely wasn't a parlour size like she was used to, but it wasn't too big for her small frame and hands. The strings weren't about to break, at least, but after plucking a few notes they were wildly out of tune. At least there was no rust on them, though that wouldn't have been too big of a deal. Boiling them usually got it all off.

It really was one of the sweetest gifts any of the guys could've given her, and as she looked over it homesickness caused a lump in her throat.

"I thought maybe you could learn and...uh.."

Kuwabara's words were cut short as he watched Kazane quickly ripping off the meticulously painted fingernails on her left hand with her teeth, spitting the ends out into the grass. As soon as they were "clipped" she placed her fingers on the neck to make sure they wouldn't get in the way, going through chords and adjusting the pegs. She was completely in her own world, attention solely focused on the sounds coming from the guitar, and Kuwabara sat flummoxed and stammering at her side, eyes wide.

When at last it was in tune Kazane went through a few scales, elation in her gut as she felt the vibrations under her fingertips. It wouldn't sound amazing, but then who really cared? How many artists had used subpar instruments or lackluster recording equipment, and still managed to produce art? Her first guitar had been in even worse shape than this one.

"Where'd you learn to play?"

The sense of elation was gone, now entirely obliterated with dread. How could she be so fucking stupid?

What possible explanation could she give that was anywhere near believable?

She shifted uncomfortably, not meeting his eyes as she stared out into the brightly colored foliage. Going through a couple more scales and the intro to a song she sighed heavily, lamenting the fact that she didn't have callouses built up in this life. That would come with time, though, like anything else. It was weird how muscle memory _kind_ of crossed over to a new life. Her mind knew what to do but her hands were still a millisecond or two off-beat, body unused to the motions.

"You've always been an honest guy, Kuwabara," She began, tense aside from her hands. "So I guess it's only fair I'm honest with you, too."

Ginger brows knit at he took in her words, placing his palms down on his thighs. It was weird to see a guy of his stature sit cross-legged, like a giant pretending to be a kid. Even the confused look on his face made him look younger.

Still, if there was one person she had faith in to not be a judgmental asshole about the whole ordeal, it was Kuwabara.

"You know how Yusuke died, and then came back to life?" She waited for his nod. "Well, the same thing happened to me, just not as easily or as happy."

She wanted to sing along to what she was playing, but laying out the truth was first priority. Trying to avoid or dodge his questions would only lead to distrust, and at this point she didn't have it in her to outright lie when it was so obvious she _was_ lying.

"I had a life, for a good couple decades, and then I died. One day I woke up in demon world, in the body of a half demon. My body. You could call it reincarnation, but I don't think reincarnation works the same way as what happened to me. Who knows, though?"

There was an even bigger lump in her throat now. Maybe it was good she wasn't free to sing; letting the truth out was proving time and time again to be way too difficult. To Genkai, Hiei, and now Kuwabara. Well, a partial truth. She could psychoanalyze it for days, the way she avoided vulnerability in its truest form, but right now she just wanted to let it out. The word-vomit had already started, might as well let it run its course.

"See, instead of living a brand new life with no memories, I remembered _everything_ from my old life. All my friends, my loved ones. My school, my hobbies, all my favorite songs and movies. Guess I should've used Kurama as a better example." Kazane laughed sardonically. "The first time I showed up here I asked Genkai for a cigarette because I used to smoke, and I was like...eight."

Every sentence seemed to hit Kuwabara hard, his face contorting and his eyes desperately laid on her form. Kazane continued, feeling like maybe she was digging a grave for the one friendship she had formed that was so altruistic that it hurt.

"I don't know how or why, but I'm here. It's super weird, but that's why I am the way I am. If I was still in my old life I'd be somewhere around forty." She decided to try an attempt at humor. "I guess we should rename the team Undead or something, since over half of us has gone through some sort of the same shit."

The song faded away under her fingers, and she hesitantly glanced over at him, feeling achingly tired even though she had woken up less than two hours ago. Laying out bullshit did that, though. When she had told Hiei, even as roundabout as it was, she was simultaneously exhausted and completely wired, although the latter was for different reasons.

"Does Urameshi know?"

Kuwabara's question made Kazane wince, biting furiously at her lip before replying.

"Not yet...I haven't found a good way to tell him, so..."

Silence reigned over the both of them, the only noises the birds chirping from the forest and the leaves rustling in the wind. On one hand she was apathetic; what had happened had happened, and there'd been no choice other than to explain it all. On the other she was terrified; what if Kuwabara claimed her some sort of traitor, then went and told Yusuke and (nearly worse) Kurama?

His mouth quirked to the side, she watched as he thought it all over, and she could almost see the gears turning in his head. After a few minutes of silence Kuwabara's face cleared, and he adopted a more composed set to his shoulders.

"You know, part of the reason I brought the guitar was 'cause you never treated me like an idiot," He began, and his explanation made Kazane blink in surprise. This was not the response she was expecting. "When we were at the tournament everyone treated me like I was weaker than them, or just some doofus. Even before that, when we were here, you let me train with you, and you didn't hold back or give me crap if I got something wrong."

He paused, a hand rubbing on the back of his neck as he inhaled.

"You made us dinner, and sang some really pretty songs. You told me about what was goin' on with Genkai. So if you haven't told us this before, then I think it's 'cause you've got a good reason for it."

Hope blossomed in Kazane's chest, warmth spreading throughout her entire body. True, she did refer to Kuwabara as a 'lovable doofus', but it was only because he was so forthright, so completely confident in the best way. He was open and honest in a way that she had no idea how to be.

Man, she really didn't deserve her friends.

"Thank you," Kazane said honestly, gripping the guitar tighter in her hands, and Kuwabara nodded, a smile now on his face.

"That's what being a team is about, right? Trustin' each other. And besides," He began, stifling a small laugh. "Now I can call you granny, right?"

Kazane rolled her eyes fondly, slapping him halfheartedly on the arm. "Think again. When I get to be as old as Genkai then sure."

"Man, when Urameshi finds out about this he's gonna have all sorts of new nicknames for you, though," Kuwabara said. "Hope you're ready."

Honestly, nicknames were the least of her worries. At the forefront was as close to disownment as she could think of, since they weren't really siblings. The idea of even broaching the subject after their time together was terrifying, and she didn't want to think about how Yusuke would react to hearing the news that she had died once. Or worse, that she had an approximation of everything that had happened or would potentially happen.

It was made even more difficult by the fact that now she had told three people, albeit a shortened version, but with every day that passed that she didn't tell Yusuke it made everything that much worse.

Her thoughts must have shown on her face, because Kuwabara leaned in, circling a gigantic hand around her bicep and shooting her a look.

"Hey, I'm sorry. Whenever you decide to tell Urameshi though, he'll come around. It's _you _we're talkin' about, so I'm sure he'll understand."

Kazane wanted to take comfort in his words, she really did. Instead she shot him a small smile, looking back down at the guitar and fiddling with the strings. It would be a distraction from training, for sure, but there was no other way to build up callouses than to just keep at it. Another thing to add into her schedule.

Kuwabara was opening his mouth when the sight of Genkai strolling out onto the grounds cut him off. There was a stern look in her eyes, and for the briefest of moments she glanced at the guitar in Kazane's hands, before waving a hand and turning towards the sparring grounds.

"Come on, I don't have all day."

Kuwabara shot Kazane a look before immediately standing and marching off with her. Before they rounded the corner she saw a smile peeking out from his lips, aimed at her, and she gripped the neck of the guitar so tight it almost hurt.

She had done it, another one down, even if it was totally out of the blue with no prior planning. Still, the confidence and reassurance Kuwabara gave her just made her feel even more displeased.

It felt wrong to have someone believe in her so wholeheartedly, to take the information in without even a hint of a question or some kind of probing. If the entire situation had been with Kurama, it would have lasted ten times as long, as she definitely would not have come out with someone reassuring _her_.

Then again, who the fuck knew? These days it was all she could do to get up and face whatever came at her. Life was a roller coaster ride of bullshit.

Kazane stole a few more moments in the grass, laying back and taking in the feel of breeze and tendrils across her skin. She breathed deeply, trying to calm the heartbeat that was all too apparent in her neck and caught in some halfway between hysteria and bone-deep apathy. Telling them was something she needed to do; Genkai said as much herself. If she didn't then they'd probably find out somehow, from some roundabout way, and things would be way worse.

She stood back up to full height, stretching her arms and wincing at the pops. Sitting in the grass moping around wouldn't do any good, and she wanted to know where Hiei was. Putting her all into sparring would at least abate the overanalyzation that was threatening to overwhelm her.

Making rounds through the temple and surrounding area, though, made it apparent that Hiei was nowhere to be found. He had disappeared before she awoke in the morning, the only sign he had been in her room his scent and energy, and Kazane was left wondering if she had done something wrong.

Maybe she had drooled on him in her sleep or something.

Her room was empty as well, and she laid the guitar Kuwabara gifted against the wall, seating herself down on the wooden floor and watching dust motes in the light. The sun was warm, and relaxing, and she resisted the urge to splay out on the floor like a cat.

Kazane had no idea how long she had just sat there and spaced out, half taking in the sunlight streaming through with unfocused eyes, before Genkai's head popped into her room, a grim expression on her face. With a jerk of her head Kazane followed her soundlessly out into the kitchen.

The silence was deafening as Genki sat at one of the chairs, and the redhead began making some coffee in an attempt to not sit and just fidget in it.

"Kuwabara's body has gone into hibernation."

Kazane said nothing, just leaned against the kitchen counter and stared, arms crossed.

"Something is coming," Genkai continued, her eyes cast at the grain of the table.

"When are you conducting your test?" Kazane asked, a grimace on her lips.

"Tomorrow."

She nodded, turning back to watch the coffee trickle into the pot, the aroma filling up the kitchen.

So things were finally being set into motion. First Genkai's test and then they would all be thrown in the Sensui arc. There really was no downtime between saving the world, was there?

"Hiei approached me this morning."

Genkai's words caused Kazane's eyes to shoot up, and the expression on her guardian's face was one of curiosity and a hint of irritation. A weird look, and she felt small under her gaze. Still, Kazane said nothing. Her throat felt tight as she rose eyebrows high.

"It was about your night terrors," Genkai continued with a huff, not breaking eye contact. "He wanted to know how long they had been going on for, and why I didn't bother teaching you how to calm your mind and form a mental barrier." There was an almost imperceptible eyeroll before her next words. "Of course we both know you can't meditate worth a damn, so training you to create mental blocks would be a feat."

It was the first time Genkai had actually voiced aloud that she knew Kazane had night terrors, although the fact she knew wasn't much of a surprise. Sometimes in the morning her throat felt raw from yelling or screaming, and during the training afterwards (at least in the beginning) the old psychic had been gentler if it was a particularly bad one. Yukina also had said nothing during the time she spent at the temple, though her room was almost on the other side of the building.

Still, this news made anxiety hum under her skin, and Kazane bit her lip.

Her dreams were never pleasant, almost always some portion of the past that she had tried to bury down inside her. The idea that maybe Hiei had took it upon himself to enter her mind amidst throes of those night terrors was terrifying. He knew she was in a second body, but she hadn't spoken a word of her former life at all, or the people close to her from then.

The coffee was finally brewed, and Kazane poured herself a cup, not really tasting the drink as she downed it. She barely even felt the sting from the heat on the back of her throat.

"Sorry," She said lamely. "Thanks."

There were a few seconds of silence before Genkai sighed. "I'm not an idiot; it is something you need to work on, and a mind reading brat would be the best to teach you."

As much as Kazane didn't want to admit it, she was right. Rubbing her temples and letting out a sigh she nodded.

* * *

Dinner was a little more eventful than normal, if only because Kuwabara was making conversation like it was the end of the world. It did relieve the knot in Kazane's stomach, at least just a little, because despite how aggravating it must be to know that your spirit energy was laying dormant Kuwabara was taking it in stride, choosing to focus on what was happening in front of him instead of obsessing on it.

If only Kazane knew how to do that.

She watched as Yukina gave him a soft hug in the doorway, and afterwards he came and engulfed Kazane in one of his familiar bear hugs, his grin faltering slightly as he took in her expression.

"Hey, I'll be okay," He reassured, totally misreading her downcast face. "I beat up Urameshi all the time before this junk started."

Her answering smile didn't reach her cheeks, but she reciprocated nonetheless and watched him head down the steps soon after. Yukina came to stand beside her, eyes wide with worry.

"I hope he'll be alright," She said softly.

Kazane waved a hand, turning to head back into the temple. "He'll be fine, Kuwabara's as stubborn as they come. What types of herbs did he bring you, by the way?"

Yukina's face lit up with excitement. "Some to help with inflammation and others that would be good to make into a poultice or salve. There are a few that help with common colds, as well, should you or Genkai become ill."

Maybe Yukina should hangout with Kurama more, since she was so adept and interested in healing and medicine. Many of the books Genkai had kept ended up in her room or on her person, the ice apparition reading in the gardens when time allowed.

Actually, now that she thought about it, Kazane hadn't been sick the entire time she had been at Genkai's. Did demon genes just naturally ward of the common cold, or was she just susceptible to demonic sickness? What the hell did demon genes do to an immune system? Maybe energy burnt away contaminants, or something.

The sun was going down over the horizon, and she bade Yukina goodnight, heading to her room and picking up the guitar Kuwabara gifted earlier.

The breeze had a slight chill to it as she made her way back outside, heading towards the forest clearing, and Kazane wrapped her sweatshirt tighter around her frame. Today was weird, and stupid. She should've been enjoying Kuwabara's company at the temple, and instead she was filled with worry about all her boys and the fact that Hiei had actually took it upon himself to talk to Genkai. Two stony personalities could not have made for much conversation.

No lightning bugs in the clearing yet, that was fine. Kazane sat herself down underneath one of the larger trees, readying the instrument in her hands as she breathed the scent of the forest. It was always a strange thing, because for as shit as she was at detecting others' energy she could feel it permeate around her whenever she entered the foliage; totally different than detecting individual signatures. It was kind of like a hivemind, an omnipresent, natural signature surrounding her.

Well aside from the asshole Baldok hiding away deep in the trees. His energy was annoyingly glum, though he didn't show himself in all the years after Kazane beat his face to a pulp.

Kazane wasn't in the right mindest to train, and it felt wrong with the gentle way the forest was behaving now, so she took to strumming her fingers across the strings of the guitar, waiting a few minutes before joining the sound with her voice.

It was nice, to put it mildly. Being able to let loose for the first time and revisit something that had been so important to her, and truthfully always would be. There was a reason she sang during the lull of conversation, and though someone (Kurama, no doubt) could chalk part of it up to trauma and being confined in silence, another reason was that music was so ingrained in her that she couldn't help it.

Some of the scars on her body were telltale signs of captivity; near killing blows that had healed over. Some others were obvious signs of rage, messy scarring adorning nonlethal areas of her figure. It was some sort of relief that Kurama hadn't seen everything, because he could probably tell the difference with a single glance. That, and with how pretty/handsome he was it would be a serious blow to Kazane's ego.

Finally looking up from the grass and the guitar Kazane choked as she caught sight of Hiei sitting against a nearby tree, her attention shifting and a horrible sound coming from the strings under her fingertips.

Collecting herself Kazane shot him an unimpressed look, and he responded with a blank-faced expression of his own. She'd probably never get used to him just popping up stealthily out of the blue.

They both said nothing, and instead of focusing on the encompassing silence Kazane focused back on her strumming, trying to blot out Hiei near her with all her might. It might've been stupid, but she felt so uncomfortable at the moment. Who knew what he had seen?

"What's an autoclave?"

His words once more made her jump, and she blinked in surprise. After a beat of silence she realized he was referencing her song.

"It's this medical...machine," She began, wishing she were better at explaining things. "Basically you put medical tools in it to disinfect them, and it does, with insane amounts of heat. It gets rid of all germs and bacteria. Kind of like an oven."

Hiei's face warped into a complex expression before blanking out once more, and he stared out into the darkness around them, his body stiff.

Kazane swallowed thickly before speaking, hoping her voice was more calm than she felt.

"What did you see?"

Ruby eyes met her own, and Hiei's gaze was unflinching as his bore into hers. His face betrayed no emotion.

"...Children," He said simply, watching as an expression of loss washed over her features. "Were they yours?"

Of all the things he could've seen...Kazane felt the coppery tang of blood as she dug her teeth into her bottom lip, staring off at the direction of the temple. In the back of her mind phantom voices seemed to call out from the void. Thumb to ring finger, index, pinky, middle. Repeat.

She ran a hand over her eyes, trying to get a grasp on her breathing. It was coming too quickly, her pulse racing, and there was no doubt in her mind Hiei could see it happening.

"Kids that I once knew," She said evasively.

She could almost feel him trying to analyze and dissect her from where he sat, and she kept stoic. Too much to think about. Tuck it away for now.

"Genkai wants you to teach me how to make mental blocks," She said. "Which I should tell you is probably going to be a bitch in itself. I can't even meditate."

Hiei didn't immediately accept the change of subject, still staring at her with intensity. After Kazane sighed in frustration he finally spoke.

"Do you want mental blocks?"

A valid question, since Kazane could only see their faces again in dreams. Still, she flared her energy out in warning, lips curled with her incisors peeking out. Hiei didn't move, or even flinch for that matter.

"Teach me or not, it's not a big difference to me," She said sharply. "Genkai's the one who said you should."

It was an invasive question, and Kazane didn't want to talk about it aloud, much less acknowledge it. This was shit that she didn't want to share at the moment, some of the most important memories to her.

Hiei opened his mouth to respond, when a diminutive figure came strolling out into the clearing, her expression unsurprised and totally unimpressed at the sight she took in.

Genkai cast Kazane a single glance before addressing the two of them.

"Botan just called; Yusuke's been kidnapped."

* * *

In the back of her mind Kazane rationalized her thoughts.

It made sense why Genkai would have told her everything was happening tomorrow and not tonight. It would put her off guard, especially since Kuwabara had skipped out on school. Sense of security couldn't be trusted, hence why they called it a 'false sense of security', right? That, and maybe his energy being dormant made her want to put everything into motion a little quicker.

She barely felt her feet dance across the ground as she pushed her muscles to their limit, Hiei at her side. There was no bus to take her into Tokyo, and there was no doubt that Hiei would condemn the metal vehicle before stepping foot in it. That, and he stuck out like a sore thumb.

If she knew the bus schedules (and she did), then Kuwabara was back in Tokyo by now. He had left at the last departure, and probably been intercepted by the grim reaper.

It had taken a decent amount of persuasion to get Hiei to accompany her, and she suspected it was the irritation and impatience that shown in her eyes that finally got him to agreeing.

"What debt do I have to the detective that would warrant this?"

"I don't know, maybe that he didn't _kill_ you when you kidnapped Keiko?"

"I'm under no oath to Koenma."

"I'm not asking you on behalf of Koenma, I'm asking for me," She pleaded. Anything to get Hiei to come. "Please."

She watched as his jaw clenched repeatedly, and after a few seconds of deliberation he sighed, the sound mingled slightly with a growl.

"Trivial nonsense," He cursed, before taking in Kazane's grateful nod and flitting off into the night alongside her.

There was no bus at this late of an hour, and even if there was it would be infinitely slower than running through the forest of their own power. Despite how naturally it came to her, however, Kazane found that it was difficult to focus on dodging the tree trunks and her constant stream of worrying. On more than one occasion she dodged out of the way of the bark at the last moment, ignoring the disbelieving look Hiei shot her a foot or two away.

Everything would turn out fine; this was a test conducted by Genkai for fuck's sake. Still the idea of something going wrong kept cropping up. What if someone got hurt? The three boys Genkai was currently teaching weren't awful people (least as far as she could remember), and if something happened to them Kazane would never forgive herself.

Hiei wasn't quite as fast as Kazane, but what he had that she didn't was endurance, and he had it in spades. Even though she funneled as little spirit energy to her legs as she possibly could her muscles were already beginning to protest; this was the longest stretch of enhanced running she had done...ever. They'd been at it in silence for about forty-five minutes, and she was still going at full speed. After the third time she cursed aloud, falling slightly behind Hiei, he halted, turning with a displeased frown.

"Shut up," She interrupted as he opened his mouth. "I'm not like you, I don't do this all the time."

Hiei closed his eyes in exasperation, a single brow twitching, before he walked silently toward her.

"What are you doing?" She asked hesitantly, letting out a yelp as he effortlessly slung her over a shoulder and continued on.

Immediately Kazane began struggling to get out of his hold, Hiei doing his best to restrain her as the wind whipped around them. His arms were like iron bars.

"This is fucking ridiculous," She cursed, edging a knee into his solar plexus.

"Then get on my back," He hissed. "Would you rather bicker meaninglessly or save the detective?" She obliged, albeit reluctantly, not really trying too hard to avoid kicking him in the face. She was still irritated with him after all.

It was way warmer in this position than running on her own, Kazane admitted. There hadn't been much time, so she didn't have a chance to grab a jacket or anything a little warmer than her sweatshirt. It was also super inconvenient, because she could feel Hiei's muscles tensing and moving under her own body, and once again her goddamn hormones came rearing their ugly head.

What she wouldn't give to be in her twenties, having all this shit locked down finally. At least she wasn't a guy and didn't have inopportune boners popping up on the battlefield.

She pressed her cheek against his back, hoping he wouldn't notice, and breathed in his scent. As much as she'd rather run on her own legs, and as irritated and filled with shame as she was...it was nice.

"Jerk," Kazane half-heartedly said, knowing that despite the current around them he could hear it.

"...Idiot."

They were approaching the edge of Tokyo now, and it was at this point that Kazane realized she had no idea where the hell they were supposed to go.

The one time that she had been in Tokyo she'd been asleep and recovering at Kuwabara's, and the gang definitely wasn't congregated there. It was also disarming seeing so many city lights for the first time in so long. Even at the Dark Tournament the lights coming from the hotels didn't hold a candle to the glow around them now. Hiei stuck to secluded, shaded areas with foliage as he flit over concrete, and Kazane frowned before speaking.

"Can you feel the others?"

Hiei let out a quiet hum before continuing on, hopping from tree to tree closer to a certain area, and as Kazane opened her mouth to ask him which signatures he was honing in on the most unpleasant sound reached her eardrums.

It was a shrill pierce, similar to a fire drill siren or bird's screech, and the noise caused her to instinctually remove her hands from across Hiei's chest to shield her ears. The two of them dropped from the tree like lead, Kazane cursing furiously as she landed unceremoniously on the concrete.

"Fuck, my ass!" Within seconds she turned to Hiei, running a palm over where a bruise was likely forming. "Fine job you did of getting us here; we fell out of a tree-"

"-stubborn idiot, it's a wonder you won your matches at the tournament-"

"-stuck up ass, you fell same as me-"

"-ungrateful redhead-"

"-haughty prick-"

"-reckless, vain-"

The sound of someone clearing their throat caused the two to look up, having moved toe to toe as they spat insults, and a flush swiftly crossed her cheeks as Kazane took in the sight of an amused Kurama staring at them with raised brows. Beside him Botan was holding something like a dog whistle in her hands, mouth agape, and Kuwabara looked about ready to march forward and intervene should things escalate, his face angry.

"Uh...hey guys," Kazane said lamely, pulling a leaf or two out of her hair and trying to wrangle it back into her bun. "Long time no see."

"Hello Kazane," Botan bubbled, a devilish look in her eyes. "So nice to see you again! And Hiei, aren't you supposed to remain in Tokyo? What on Earth are the both of you arriving together for?"

The sight of Hiei stilling while his hands curled into fists made Kazane step forward, and she glanced back at him before attempting to speak. Kuwabara beat her to the punch.

"I knew it!" He cried, pointing at the smaller figures in front of him. "I _knew_ somethin' was goin' on! What the heck, Kazane? Hiei?!"

Forcefully palming her face in her hands Kazane tried to will the fire across her cheeks and ears to fucking _stop_. If he knew about Yukina's relation to Hiei then he'd clam up for sure. Once again she found herself interrupted by Kurama before getting a chance to say anything, but thankfully he was doing his part to breeze past the situation.

"Here, you two had better read this."

The note he thrust into her hands took less than a few seconds to glance over, before she handed it off to Hiei, ignoring the look he shot her.

"It must be someone with intimate knowledge of the tournament to include us four," Hiei said finally, handing the paper back off to Botan. "Wish I'd been around to see the detective ensared."

"I admit I'm surprised you came of your own volition, Hiei," Botan offered, a perplexed expression on her face. "Well...," She amended, glancing over at Kazane.

"Tell Koenma to lift the restriction on Hiei to Tokyo."

At the redhead's words all eyes turned towards her, Botan's beautiful magenta widening ridiculously. Even Hiei, as off to the side as he tried to sulk, glanced over.

"He's here to help Yusuke, same as me. That should be more than enough demonstration to keep Koenma off his back."

Well, that was definitely a fib, but who needed to know that Hiei required convincing to come along with her? If this situation was in front of her she was going to milk it for all it was worth.

Botan began sputtering. "I-I don't know, Kazane, I would love to hope that Koenma could be convinced of that, but-"

"I _know_ he can be convinced of that. This entire situation is ridiculous; I never heard of Kurama having to stay in Tokyo lines."

"A verbal order was never issued," Kurama began, his eyes raking over the two of them. "But there still stands much incentive for me to remain here."

The fact that his mom was in Tokyo was left unsaid, but the message was clear. Koenma didn't really need to issue a threat when something like her life was within the city. Pinching her fingers between her eyebrows Kazane sighed, leveling Botan with a stare.

"Please."

"I thought we were here to rescue the detective," Hiei interrupted, stepping closer towards the group. His entire demeanor was stiff, and he looked around at everyone except Kazane, a steeled look in his eye. "Unless this was all a waste, in which case I'll just leave. This entire affair is _not_ my responsibility."

"Hiei's right," Kurama agreed. "I'm sure we don't want to waste what little time we have left."

The boys began heading who knew where with little prodding, Kuwabara voicing his excitement as he tried to catch up with them. Surprisingly, Botan lingered alongside Kazane, and she shot the demoness a concerned look as they began walking behind the guys.

Figures, the one nice thing she tried to do for Hiei he just intercepted and shrugged it off. Or maybe he was uncomfortable? Who knew? Kazane sure didn't; seemed like a perfect opportunity.

"Are you alright?" Botan asked softly.

"I'll be okay once Yusuke's safe," Kazane replied, hoping her bitchy attitude could be chalked up to worry for her favorite brat. "Sorry if I was being a bitch. Hiei and I had...a disagreement, so I guess that kind of put me in a rough mood. And then all this..."

The two girls followed in silence for a few minutes, before Botan looked toward the redhead, seeming to want to ask something. Her mouth closed quickly, however, and she returned to looking at the concrete beneath their feet.

"I don't know," Kazane offered, feeling it best to get whatever was happening out of the way. "I don't know why Hiei hangs out around me, or vice versa. I just know that Koenma treats him differently, and I don't like it. I'm sorry for putting pressure on you, but it is bullshit that he's supposed to be stuck here. You both were at the tournament; you saw what he did for our team to win..." After a pause Kazane grimaced. "And for me, I guess. I wasn't in a good mood earlier and I think he caught the brunt of it, so I wanted to do something kind of nice for him." Her last words were almost a mumble, cheeks reddening as she spoke them, and after a beat of silence she glanced over at Botan.

A mistake, considering the grim reaper was staring at her with wide, star-struck eyes. Her lip wobbled, though there was still a maniacal gleam, and Kazane wanted to put as much distance between herself and Botan as possible.

"To think my sweet Kazane will soon be betrothed," Botan wept dramatically. "I can't bear to picture you in a white dress."

Somewhere amidst the blubbering Botan had tried to cling herself onto Kazane, and the redhead responded with a palm to her friend's face, feeling wholly done with this situation. She just wanted to provide an explanation and be truthful for once; that was what friends did, right?

After being nearly glomped by Botan she regret her words instantaneously.

"Whatever," Kazane mumbled, forcefully pushing the grim reaper off her shoulders. "Just don't make too much of a deal of it, for my sake, alright?"

"Of course! And I am sorry about the whistle; we just couldn't think of a different way to call Hiei to us."

Kazane waved a hand, wrapping her sweatshirt tighter around her frame. It wasn't so much the cold this time as being in unknown territory that was putting a chill in her bones. She should've felt more at home in the city, having grown up in one in her previous life. Still, this was all new and weird and bright. Too many people, and between all five of them they would've passed for attendees at some sort of convention.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts she almost bumped into Hiei's back, the raven-haired man shooting a glare at her that she heartily returned.

The building they were stationed in front of was fucking wild, to say the least. Looked like something straight out of a horror movie.

No lights were lit aside from some ominous purple ones above the pillars, and the architecture alone looked like something Mc Escher himself would've designed. Did Genkai commission this or something? Or maybe she had just found the building and taken a liking to it. The old bat had weird taste.

"Is this the place? Looks deformed," Kuwabara said, voicing aloud Kazane's thoughts.

"It's the only old mansion on the block."

"Why is it," Kazane sighed. "That every time we get caught up in something we have to go somewhere that looks..." She trailed off, shaking her head slightly.

Just once what she wouldn't give to be trailing along a mission at a bath house, or a resort, or anywhere where she could relax even for a little bit.

Kuwabara crossed his arms, fixing the grim reaper with a determined look. "Well, whatever the case, stay here. This mansion's definitely not safe for non-fighters."

"That's sweet Kuwabara, but I'm going," Botan replied, no room in her tone for debate. "Someone needs to be able to use the detective tools."

"Fighter or not five brains are better than four," Kazane said, interrupting what she could tell was going to be a debate between Kuwabara's gentlemanly ways and Botan's stubbornness. "So let's just get on with it already."

She wanted this to be over with. The faster they went through Genkai's test the faster they could take a moment to breathe before more bullshit started happening. Yeah, Genkai's lesson was important, and truthfully the only person that would probably pass a test like this would be Kurama, but still. It felt wrong to throw everyone into upheaval with barely a break in between.

That, and as much as she'd never admit it aloud, she missed Yusuke.

He hadn't been home any of the times she had called, and hadn't seen him since everyone had left after the tournament. The time Keiko had spent at the temple had been about much more serious topics than their return to normal life. And though Kazane prefaced hanging out with Kuwabara as hearing what the two punks were up to it had also tread into more serious territory. He was free to live his own life and do what he wanted but...

As irrational as it was she just felt left behind.

Kurama shot her a small, barely forced smile. It seemed even he wasn't immune to impatience.

"Yes, let's go. I'm afraid we're running out of time."

The fox and Hiei began heading toward the front door, Kuwabara taking place behind them, and Kazane inhaled deeply before following alongside Botan, anxiety and irritation making her skin itch under the surface.

It was fine. Everything was fine. She was fine.

With how often she said that to herself it was a wonder it made her feel better at all.

* * *

**Note:**

**I honestly don't know what to say about this chapter, except I'm sorry it took so long and I hope y'all are doing well and staying healthy. Hope I didn't age myself too badly with the term 'glomp'.**

** Masks actually aren't the worst; I don't have to put makeup on aside from eyebrows so it soothes my low-maintenance heart. I gotta wear them every shift, so.**

**Kazane's past is creeping up, in more ways than one, and we'll see that in later chapters. For now we have to deal with Genkai's test, and Kazane being in an incredibly bitchy mood from learning Hiei has seen some of her night terrors. Hence the thorny attitude between them both.**

**My eternal love to Mediocre Dunces, Damaged Forest Spirit, AmericanNidiot, Zayren Heart, GinaLiz, Ancientwind240, and Vienna22 for the reviews. Y'all are beautiful, and I'm sorry I made you wait so long for an update. It really does make my day reading your reviews, though.**

**On another note; this fic was inspired by the greats. OCs of YYH and some other fics, and it's so wild to me to see people who also regularly follow Star Charter's Lucky Child also commenting on this, among other old faves. I'm an avid reader, and it just blows me away every time. Just want to give a very honest and embarrassing thanks that those who regularly read and review on theirs would take interest here, because they are just an incredible author. And if you haven't read Lucky Child then shame on you.**

**Anyway, a very open-hearted and embarrassing thanks to everyone that has read, followed, and favorited from the time this fic was in infancy. Anytime I get a notif at work it makes me smile like a fucking idiot, but it genuinely makes my day. Thanks, y'all.**

**Title credit goes to Autoclave by the Mountain Goats.**


	23. Test Drive

Kazane really had no idea when she became so disillusioned to all the wacky shit happening around her that it started to just...become normal.

Maybe it was when she met Jin for the first time, or when Genkai first beat her to a pulp in spars. Maybe it was encountering Yusuke and Kuwabara, and becoming reacquainted with how teenagers actually acted. Or maybe it was facing death head on multiple times.

Regardless, it felt a lot like a possible downside that she was so used to strange things after she stepped through the front doors of the mansion, and she hardly raised a brow.

She could scream it from the rooftops that despite seeing everything in a different medium, seeing events unfold that she kind of remembered in real life were still totally different, and should've definitely put her on edge. Maybe she needed to see a psychologist. Or psychiatrist. Whichever one worked this time around.

The inside of the mansion was as bizarre as the outside, at least as the first floor went. Red light illuminated the tiled space and made her head throb. It was fitting, if Genkai chose the fixtures, because from what she could remember red subconsciously made your heart rate increase and put you on edge.

For the most part it just reminded Kazane of demon world.

"What is this place?" Botan asked hesitantly, the pneumatic door shutting behind them. Slowly all five of them walked into the room.

"It's all twisted up," Kuwabara agreed.

"And that steam, it's like an oven. It's so ho-"

Immediately Kazane shot out a hand, clamping it over the grim reaper's mouth. Underneath she could feel the gooey texture of lip gloss, but she ignored it in favor of sending a look her way.

"Saying it can't be good," She reminded, and Botan hesitantly nodded.

Kazane liked puzzles and riddles, even if she wasn't good at them worth a damn. Crosswords at least in her old life had been fun, whereas Sudoku was hell in itself. Anything that incorporated numbers to it was just torture. This was wordplay.

"Kurama, did you feel that?" Hiei asked.

"Yes, when we entered the energy schematic changed. It feels as though we've somehow been transported to a different space."

Well, leave it to the other two to feel something. Kazane hadn't felt a thing, aside from the lip gloss she was wiping on her leggings. Perhaps having full demon blood made you more acutely aware of your surroundings? Or maybe she was just an idiot at sensing in general.

"Or a different space time. Welcome to the house, everyone. I'm so glad you made it."

The voice addressing them was familiar, though it took Kazane viewing the figure robed in darkness to match it to a person. It was a testament to how thoroughly Genkai pushed training in so little time that Kaito was able to stand in the doorway without any of them knowing, his magenta school uniform clashing wildly with the colors around them.

He looked the same as he did back at the temple, if a little less disheveled and overworked, and as his narrow eyes raked over the five of them there was a faint glimmer of recognition as his gaze met Kazane's own. Despite that his facial expression remained passive, so either Genkai's wrath was a good motivator or he was a proficient actor. Likely both. He smirked at Kurama, amusement now making a smile spread on his lips, if a small one.

"Listen, dork, I don't know who you think you are, but we're no normal school kids!" Kuwabara yelled, obnoxiously pointing a finger.

Predictably, Kurama stepped forward.

"His name is Kaito. He is a classmate, and all of his test scores are second only to mine." Kazane could almost see him analyzing the boy before them, configuring preconceived notions and slotting him into different places. "Remarkably bright for his age. I've never spoken to him personally, and naturally I've never told him about you.

"Kaito! Where have you gotten your information? And why have you kidnapped Yusuke?"

It was a mark of how dangerous Kurama was, deep down beneath the human facade, that made Kazane shiver. At the very least there was enough energy swarming with intent that she could feel it, and the look on his face made her feel small, though she was a bystander.

Shit was weird, and instead she focused on analyzing the room, letting the others do the talking.

There was no way all three pubescent boys had made this building their home, or if they did then they had a sick taste in décor. There were plants blooming, and a mini-fridge, but the lighting itself was off-putting; she couldn't imagine Kaito reading well in it. Maybe Genkai just told them to keep everything as it was, as a front, but who knew?

She did like the warmth, at least. The chill in her bones was finally settled, and she was standing enough of a distance away from Hiei to know that it wasn't his doing. The humidity, though, she could do without. Already her hair was curling unnecessarily at its ends.

"Really I was most surprised about you, Shuichi," Kaito said, striding over to his insanely high-backed hair. It took a moment for Kazane to remember that Shuichi was Kurama's human name. "Try to put yourself in my shoes. Learning my school rival can also do the funniest thing with plants."

Kurama narrowed his gaze, and Kazane sighed heavily, all eyes in the room turning to her.

"This just sounds like a lot of repressed sexual tension, if you ask me."

Immediately upon speaking both Kaito and Kurama blushed, though Kurama's faded almost instantly. Botan made some sort of 'eep', and Kuwabara began choking on his own spit. Hiei just stared at her incredulously.

"Listen, if you've brought us here because of some deep-seated interest in Kurama...Shuichi, whoever, then I'll be the first to say it's kind of weird and unappreciated," Kazane continued, unperturbed.

Kaito's jaw spasmed before he spoke, eyes alight with anger. "Of course that is not why you are gathered here." It was a testament to his composure that he left it at that, one hand clenched on his knee. "I've learned that I have a talent, too. And being such great champions as you are, I was hoping I could test them out on you."

Kuwabara finally broke, hands clenched at his sides.

"Okay, this is ridiculous! We've been through stuff you couldn't even dream about, and you bring us all here because you have some weird crush on Kurama?"

The tension in the room deflated once more, and Kazane stifled a grin. If Genkai expected her to take place in this test, as well-intentioned as it was, she was going to be herself and have fun during it. That, and maybe throwing Kaito off guard would cause him to make a mistake and then everything could be over soon.

"I'll take him."

Hiei's hand was poised over his sword, teeth bared, and it looked as though he wanted nothing more than to dart forward and gut the boy with his blade. Made sense, because getting this over with in that manner would have been as quick as possible, and if Kazane didn't know everything was relatively fine, she probably would've been in favor of the idea.

As it was, Hiei's energy was rising to stifling levels, the room growing even hotter, and Kazane tugged at her sweatshirt. This...was a little much. In more ways than one.

"You'll agree my impatience for human fools will be an asset. Now!"

Before she could even blink Hiei was darting forward at insane speeds, heading straight for Kaito with no hesitation. A burst of light caused her to wince, shielding her eyes, and the sight of thousands of shards of steel made her frown. Despite what would have undoubtedly been a speedy, lethal hit Kaito simply remained in his chair, looking as relaxed as if he were watching television.

"Never doubt," He said ominously as Hiei crouched in front of him, his sheath and remaining blade at the ready.

Kuwabara looked ready to fly off the handle. "How the heck did he just do that? Energy came right out of nowhere, it looked weird!"

"If what Kurama and Hiei said earlier is true," Kazane began, chewing on her lip. "Then he's made some sort of barrier, and my guess is it encompasses the whole room."

It felt wrong to play dumb the whole time, and would've likely set off alarm bells for Kurama. It was different acting now as opposed to acting surprised at the Tournament; at least at the Tournament the threat of death was a suffocatingly present thing, and while Genkai wasn't above using near-death methods to encourage improvement, this had much less risk attached.

Kaito chuckled softly, his smug grin never wavering.

"Quick with the analysis, I wouldn't expect any less from a pupil of Genkai's, as crude as you may be. Though, your dear friend Yusuke didn't grasp it quite so quickly."

Well, now he was just being a coy brat.

"As you see, this is a very special room, where brute strength cannot exist. Only your words have power here, just make sure you follow my one posted rule. As a child, playing pretend I would make my own world with my own rules, but I've learned I can do it for real. Growing up as a bookworm," As his voice rose he outstretched an arm dramatically. "I guess it was inevitable what I would decide to rule out...violence."

If all this megalomania was an act then it was a good one, if a bit overdramatic. If it wasn't then...well at least Genkai had an influence on him at this stage in the game. Likely he was enjoying the attention.

Hiei growled, and Kazane could hear his teeth grinding from where she stood near the others.

"I see why that disturbs you, Hiei," Kaito continued. "In the world of fighting, your skills let you bully anybody you want. But in my territory you're just a tiny, swordless man."

Kazane bristled.

While she was probably the better one to talk to others without threat of gutting them, Hiei at least was better at communicating openly than she was, as far as the two of them together went. It had taken him confronting her directly, backing her into a metaphorical and literal corner for her to admit that she liked him. Kaito trying to paint him as someone whose only skill was fighting made her want to rush forward and mirror Hiei's earlier attempt. Wind wasn't inherently a weapon.

"Big words from someone who had to go to these lengths to be on an even playing field."

Her barb caused Kaito to look up, the grin on his face falling slightly.

"You're getting some type of warped pleasure from exercising your power, admit it. Get off your soap box."

Hiei stood up to full height, sending a glance back her way before continuing to glare at the boy in front of him. He wasn't as angry as before, now a more relaxed set to his shoulders, but the urge to maim was still present.

"Any buffoon can make a shield. How do we know your other claim isn't just a bluff?"

Kaito's eyes danced with amusement. "There's only one way."

Immediately Kazane stepped forward, slapping a palm over Hiei's mouth. Belatedly, she realized it was the same hand she had used to silence Botan, and the glitter was probably still lingering. Oops.

"No way," She hissed, and he immediately caught her wrist tight in his grip.

"No one places a gag on me," Hiei spat. "He's bluffing."

She wanted to tear her hair out in frustration, but this was exactly why Genkai was making them go through this test. They couldn't just brute strength their way through everything, as they had been doing since the team had been formed. They especially couldn't do that with what she knew was coming.

The least she could do to make up for being a bitch the entire night was to save his pride.

Kazane glared into Hiei's eyes, casting a furtive glance over at where Kaito looked infinitely amused, and took a deep breath.

"Hot."

There was a little over a second of delay, during which Botan and Kuwabara began yelling, and Kurama grit his jaw. Kaito's eyebrows rose in surprise, his face betraying a hint of confusion. Hiei gripped her forearms, and the last thing she saw was his mouth furiously saying her name.

Everything disappeared almost instantly, the disquieting red replaced with darkness so deep it seemed to suck in any source of light, like a black hole. If she had a body she was sure it would vomit everywhere, repulsed at the fact that she was once again in endless void. It was just her soul, however, and despite being disembodied in nothingness she could still think.

The darkness was all-consuming, pressing down on the edges of her with resounding weight. It was almost like she was falling and suffocating at the same time; too much sensation for something that was so viscerally _empty_.

That had been what being dead felt like. Now it seemed like her own personal hell.

What if she was stuck like this?

She wanted to scream, but she had no mouth. Or run, but she had no legs to support her. There wasn't an escape to this, and Kazane berated herself for being such a fucking idiot. Acting on a whim had gotten her here, and now all she could do was hope that Kurama would best Kaito at his game. If he couldn't, then her next bet would be Genkai fixing whatever had happened.

There was no way to say for sure how long she had been drifting in void, even if she had taken to conjuring up songs as a way to keep occupied, keep her thoughts off what was happening around her. Or the lackthereof. Eventually there was a tug, and she felt herself be forced out of the dark expanse, the sensation of warmth and weight on her limbs almost too much.

Her eyes drifted open to the sight of Botan and Kuwabara looking over her with worry, and after a second realized she was trembling uncontrollably.

"Kazane!"

Kurama was standing a few feet away, his emerald eyes probing as a frown crossed his lips. Kazane looked away, noting that Hiei was leaning against one of the walls with his arms crossed, totally avoiding her gaze. There was a veritable garden surrounding them, though that was more likely Kurama's doing. As everyone was coming to consciousness the plants began to retreat.

A disgusting burp escaped her lips, saliva pooling up towards her teeth. "Bathroom," She rasped, and Kurama stepped up to lead her towards where it was.

The second the two crossed the threshold Kurama locked the door behind them, Kazane nearly collapsing as she hovered over the toilet, hands holding back her hair as her stomach clenched tightly. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to ignore the way sick was pouring from her mouth as her body re calibrated to being alive.

"Well, I confess this was not how I pictured this discussion taking place," Kurama began, voice soft even as he stared at her with sharp eyes.

Kazane grimaced, spitting into the toilet as she stood back up and made her way to the sink. She tried to ignore Kurama and the weight of his stare, rinsing her sweat-laden face with water and trying to gargle the taste of vomit from her mouth. She was still trembling, like she had finally broken out of a fever-induced dream.

Bracing her hands on the sink she looked up at the mirror, meeting his eyes.

"Just ask what you want to ask," She rasped, lethargy creeping into her bones. However long she had spent in void succeeded in sapping most of the strength from her.

"Alright," Kurama began. "Kaito's technique affected you differently. Botan and Kuwabara were both fine when they returned to their bodies. Why?"

There was some amount of irritation worming its way up her spine, mostly because Kurama had used the situation to his advantage, cornering her in the fucking _bathroom_ while she was weak. She couldn't really blame him, though, because it was a good move. Even if she took personal offense to it and whatever social decorum was in jeopardy.

On the other hand she was also curious why Kaito's technique pushed her back into limbo while Botan and Kuwabara seemed fine, if a little disoriented. Was she cursed? Maybe whatever his technique did had an adverse affect on her alien soul. She'd have to discuss it with Genkai later.

Hesitantly Kazane wiped her mouth, turning to face him fully. "You already know, I know you do. Hiei did." Swallowing thickly she raised her brows. "We're similar, in a way. I'll answer whatever questions you have later, but I'm a little more invested in rescuing Yusuke than having this conversation, so..."

She motioned for the door, Kurama bracing his back against it as a shield, and after a beat of hesitation he flipped the lock. Maybe he thought he could catch her afterwards, or his instincts told him this was not the best place to have a meaningful conversation. He didn't know that this whole rescue mission was actually a test, so maybe her words had an effect.

Before she could cross the threshold Kurama encircled her forearm tightly.

"You still have my address," He said, more of a statement than a question. "Very well," He continued after Kazane nodded. "Tomorrow at four."

His words left no room for debate, and her stomach did a somersault once more, thankfully not so harshly that she had to hunch over the toilet again. She marched out of the room, waving off concerns from Kuwabara and Botan as she took in their situation.

"She'll be alright," Kurama spoke, playing his role as polite demon doctor. "It's just shock."

"Man, we'd be toasted without you, Kurama," Kuwabara complained. "And no thanks to you, Hiei. If Kazane didn't say it you'd have lost your soul, too."

The fire demon was trying his best to ignore everything happening around him, eyes staring off into another part of the room. He looked over at Kazane, face stoic, and the brief second it took to meet his gaze she could tell that he knew something had happened. The almost imperceptible glance over at Kurama cemented that fact.

Was he worried for her? Or mad? They'd talk it over later...probably. If he actually showed back up at the temple after all this.

"What, did he keep quiet the whole time?" She asked, looking over at Kurama. He hadn't mentioned Hiei earlier.

"Actually, he did. He said nothing, even when I issued Kaito my own personal challenge. He kept your body out of harm's way."

Well that was...something. More than she had expected, really. If her soul had been sucked out of her body then she kind of expected him to once again rush forward with an attack, or something at the very least. The idea of him playing watchdog over her prone, frozen form made Kazane frown, the tips of her ears turning red. She made the dumb decision to say it, after all.

Shame coiled its way around her gut, and she heartily shrugged it off, focusing on the way Kuwabara was beginning to talk about their advancing plan of attack.

"This stupid note says we can't go forward unless we get broomstick-head to give his approval," He said, fists clenching. "So I say we beat him to a pulp until he does."

Kazane wound a hand through her hair, hoping that there wasn't some speck of vomit on her locks. It would probably be an easy target for verbal threats, if they made it out of this room. That, and she wanted a shower. Wanted seclusion.

Wanted time to think about how she'd talk to Kurama, because she'd bet twenty bucks he was not letting the subject drop easily, and while she had never been good at betting this seemed like a safe one. It would be worlds different from her confession to Kuwabara.

"Well, let's ask him for approval," She said simply, joining her companions as they approached Broomstick's prone form.

It didn't take long for him to awaken, and when he did he immediately hopped to his feet, slightly taken aback at the group in front of him.

Trying to take her mind off the events of the last half hour Kazane wondered how his hair stayed up at that height. How much hair gel did he use? It couldn't have been as much as Yusuke; his hair was essentially a shellac-ed helmet. Hairspray, maybe.

"Nap time is over," Kurama said.

Broomstick let out a hesitant chuckle. "Looks like you guys defeated my old pal Kaito...very impressive."

In all reality it wasn't an impressive display. Kazane said 'hot' almost immediately in a stupid attempt to save Hiei's pride, Botan and Kuwabara also got turned into soulless statues on a technicality, if her memory was correct. As irritated as Kazane felt towards the fox demon, Kuwabara was right; they would've been screwed without Kurama. Her original plan had been to just sit in silence throughout the duration of Kaito's test. Her hot-headedness had won over, and with an internal groan she agreed that maybe it was good for her to be taking part in Genkai's test, too.

She was smarter than her previous actions illustrated. At least, she thought so.

"So far," Kurama continued, holding up two keys in his hands. "We have only been successful in opening two of the three doors that will lead us to the subsequent room."

Broomstick laughed. "Hah, don't tell me that's the reason you guys woke me up."

It seemed Kurama was fine playing the de-facto leader of their little soiree, since Yusuke wasn't around.

"We woke you up because we discovered this posted warning, the one that says Yusuke dies if we open the door without your approval."

"That is a good reason."

Kazane withdrew her fans from her holster and began fanning her face gently, glaring daggers at the boy before her. The light perspiration still clinging to her skin from waking up was doing little to cool her off thanks to the humidity that overwhelmed the room. Hopefully she looked more intimidating than she felt.

"You seem like a rational guy, I'd hate to make your life a living hell for killing Yusuke. And trust me, I've got plenty of free time."

Hiei finally spoke, his shoulder almost brushing Kazane's as he addressed Broomstick.

"Unless you harbor a death wish I suggest you give us your permission."

Despite both their energies mingling in the space of the room Broomstick stood as unaffected as ever, and he raised an eyebrow at the both of them.

"May I remind you that those kinds of tactics don't work here, so you two keep your mouths shut and do exactly what I tell you."

This entire test was such bullshit, and even though they were barely past the first blockade Kazane was already thoroughly done with everything. Sure, it was all orchestrated by Genkai, admittedly the only person that Kazane ever took orders from, but this brat was getting on her nerves. He was probably as old as Kurama was pretending to be, which was what, fifteen?

An arm extended, blocking her instinctually moving closer to her target, and at her side Kurama shot a sharp look.

"It is indeed frustrating, but considering our situation we would be wise to do as he says."

Kuwabara grumbled. "It really chaps my hide that we have to stand here and swallow this dweeb's abuse."

With an amused laugh Broomstick turned tail, opening the door without sparing a glance behind him.

* * *

Kazane stared down at the strange sticker in her hand, half taking in Botan's explanation on how it worked.

All of the gadgets spirit world constructed were actually kind of neat, even if she had no idea how it worked when factoring in spirit energy. The whistle, though, was on her shit-list forever. She planted the sticker on Botan's shirt, awkwardly trying to find a spot that wasn't directly on her friend's chest. After a reassuring look from the grim reaper she settled it near her collarbone.

"Well, they're all blue," Botan announced, looking down at the smatter of handwriting adorned on her. "Glad to know we're all okay."

It would be nice to have these on hand whenever Kazane was back at the temple with Genkai. If only there were a way to put these on a bulletin board or something, and then she would know if someone was hurt with just a glance. Then again, that probably wasn't healthy at all.

After the four had glanced around at the stickers Botan cast a stern gaze towards the fire demon staring blankly.

"Everyone except you, Hiei."

"I don't need them," He said sharply.

Botan frowned. "Sure you do. You want to know we're okay."

As she tried to plant the sticker on his cape Hiei deftly grabbed her by the wrist, completely unamused even as she chuckled nervously.

"Touch me and I break your wrist."

Kazane marched forward, hiding her own sticker out of sight as the two bickered. Her handwriting was absolute garbage, but it was still somewhat legible on its face, and she skirted around Hiei, using just a burst of energy and intentionally brushing her arms up against him as she pressed it onto his chest. The moment of hesitation was enough, and a grin swiftly spread on her face.

"Don't be such a fucking wuss," She chastised, dodging out of the way of an elbow.

Kurama came forward next sporting an amused smirk. "Seems Hiei has already forgotten his soul was nearly the first to be lost."

With a dejected face Hiei stood as still as stone as everyone marked their symbols on him, and she caught a glare sent her way out of the corner of her eye. Yeah, they all looked like glorified scouts but it was the thought that counted, right?

Without another word everyone traipsed over to a set of color-coded stairs, and as Kazane stood in front of her own set of purple another wave of apprehension coiled in her gut.

If Genkai's word could be trusted (and considering the circumstances and their conversation, they could be), then she had nothing to fear from Broomstick launching an attack and taking her hostage while he copied her to an exact. Still, from what she could remember the route up the stairs was stupidly abstract, and while vertigo wasn't an issue disembodied staircases and disjointed objects were. Her stomach still wasn't fully settled yet.

"I'm ready when the rest of you guys are," Kuwabara called, shoulders back proudly as he stared into the darkness.

"I'm all set here," Botan answered.

Hiei said nothing, and Kazane rolled her eyes once before responding.

"Let's get this show on the road."

From her peripheral she could see Kurama inhale deeply before joining in. "Let's begin. Remember, caution is our ally."

The second Kazane began stepping foot up the stairs she realized her jaw was clenched so tight it hurt, and she turned back to face Broomstick as she relaxed it, thankful she was out of sight of the others. He looked surprised, a contrast of expressions warping across his face before he shot her a hesitant wink, and she responded with a small smile and a middle finger before ascending into the darkness.

It took many steps before the path she was on was also bathed in matching light, purple amplifying her sweater while washing out her skin entirely. Before too long the feel of stoned tile underneath her feet roiled, and Kazane instinctually hopped up and began floating, trying to keep her sight on the doors in front of her instead of the undulating happening underneath.

She knew Yusuke's signature by heart, and despite whatever boundaries or people in the mansion it wasn't difficult to locate. The hardest part was avoiding everything moving around her. Even the darkness seemed to have a life of its own, something she didn't want to look too hard at or think about.

After a few moments of wandering, humming to herself to counteract the silence, she came to the door that Yusuke's energy felt closest to, and trepidation coiled in her gut.

Kazane's hand hesitated over the knob.

She hadn't talked to Yusuke since the tournament. What if he was avoiding her? Maybe he was angry she was helping Keiko, and just decided to ignore her instead of confront her about it. A laundry list of excuses flit through her brain before she shook her head, trying to shake them out of her skull.

What was she, a fucking idiot? Yusuke was (kind of) in danger, and that came before whatever insecurities and overthinking plagued her mind. Hadn't her mantra been 'protect her boys'?

Taking a deep breath she turned the knob and opened the door, the light coming from behind it enough that it made her wince, though it wasn't terribly bright.

The others appeared barely nanoseconds after her, all looking relatively unperturbed and braced for a fight.

"Welcome," Blondie said, the light playing shadows across his face.

"What's up guys?"

As soon as she heard Yusuke's voice Kazane wanted to raze the building to the ground. Not because of the callous way he was addressing them, and not because of the fact that she had weird, stupid insecurities.

There was panic lying underneath, that much was clear. It was the same tone he used before he fought Toguro, when he was keeping up a tough-guy facade. It was the tone he used when he knew things weren't looking so great. Whatever conversations Blondie and him had had, even if this was just a test, was enough to rattle him.

The emotion behind his eyes was as obvious of a hint as any. She wanted to blast this building to pieces.

"Urameshi!"

"Yusuke?"

Kuwabara's fists were clenched at his sides. "What's goin' on? Why are you just standing there like that?"

A bead of sweat dripped down Yusuke's tan face, and immediately Kazane whipped out her fans and sent a powerful gust towards the two in front of her. Not enough to maim, but enough to budge a person if they were caught off guard.

"Hey, what the hell?" Yusuke's hair was an absolute mess, the gel doing nothing to hold it in place. In front of him Blondie grimaced before glaring back at her. Clearly she had underestimated him, or made him irritated; even if just that it was a perk.

"Sorry," Kazane said sincerely, shooting Yusuke a sympathetic look. "So your shadow, that's it?"

"Yeah, that's right. I'm stuck, and if you come any closer and he steps on your shadow you'll be stuck, too!"

"The prodigal sister," Blondie said softly, rolling his shoulders. Kazane shot Yusuke a glance, but his eyes were now turned towards the floor. "That's true, but I'm not the one you should be worried about. One of your friends is an imposter."

There was a moment of tense silence, and as the five of them glanced at each other Kuwabara leaned forward. If Kazane didn't know any better she'd say it really was the ginger thug, though maybe this time around it was Botan. There really was no telling since she knew how Broomstick's abilities worked already.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

The amusement on Blondie's face wasn't lost on Kazane, and it seemed a tad more sinister and genuine than whatever was happening with Kaito during their test. Wind didn't work; she'd already tried that, and so she crossed her arms and inhaled sharply, hoping Yusuke would put his detective brain to good use.

"Now, let's begin the game, shall we? Like I said, one of your companions is not who they appear to be."

Yusuke whirled in their direction, eyes darting furiously between the five of them.

"Your only objective in this game is to determine the imposter," Blondie continued. "In ten minutes, beginning now. As for the five of you, you are only allowed to speak when Yusuke has asked you a direct question."

Immediately Kuwabara raised a fist, stepping forward. "I don't know this guy! How do we know he's telling us the truth?"

Finally Botan piped in. "I find it hard to believe anyone could disguise themselves so perfectly in such a short amount of time."

Blondie smirked. "I thought I told you not to speak unless you were spoken to. Don't you care what happens to your buddies?"

Before Kazane could open her mouth to try and move this situation forward Hiei huffed.

"I could easily slit your throat before you even think about doing anything to the detective."

Maybe it didn't stem from a fondness for Yusuke, necessarily, though she knew it was there. Still, the fact Hiei was launching threats left Kazane with a warm feeling in her chest. Despite the touched sentiment she cleared her throat, raising a brow at the rest of them.

"He's not saying it to be nice; he's telling us this because he's got whoever's kidnapped in the palm of his hand. If we don't do as he says they're in danger too."

Kurama shot her a sympathetic look. "I'm afraid Kazane's right. His threats are quite serious. Seems his group has thought of everything."

Well, that was Genkai for you.

Kazane took in the sight of Blondie's self-righteous grin before grinding her teeth. "Don't get me wrong, I want to bash his fucking teeth in…" She turned her eyes onto Yusuke, hoping to telepathically calm the panic that was behind his eyes. "But Yusuke's not an idiot."

The greaser's face softened a moment. "Thanks for the vote of confidence." Glaring over at Blondie he stood shaking with barely-concealed rage. "Let me guess if I don't find the real one in ten minutes you'll kill them?"

With barely a second of hesitation Blondie glanced down at the watch on his wrist.

"Uh oh...nine left."

Yusuke craned his neck to the best of his ability, eyes flitting back and forth as he took in the figures before him. Kazane jiggled a leg before finally speaking, hoping to get this over with as quick as possible.

"It's not going to be a physical feature, brat!"

"Shut up!" Yusuke yelled. "I'm eliminating all possibilities!" He turned towards the tallest among them. "Kuwabara, what's your blood type and when were you born?"

Kazane palmed her face in her hands.

"Figures! You have to suspect me first off!"

"Oh get over yourself and answer me!"

"Okay Mr. Crabby-Pants, but do you even know my birthday and blood type in the first place?"

After a defeated huff Yusuke frowned. "I guess I don't."

Kazane's eyes were definitely getting a workout tonight. Why was it that the whole group assembled together made her roll her eyes more than anything? Even more than stupid ass villain monologueing?

"Oh my god," She complained. "Ask us things that you know."

"Fine!" Yusuke yelled, a vein in his temple peeking out. "When did you and Hiei kiss?"

The air in the room felt violently sucked out, and Kazane gaped open-mouthed at the boy before her. At her side Botan and Kurama were staring intently; Botan with a mix of surprise and incredulity, Kurama seemingly done with himself and the whole situation. A choke could be heard from Kuwabara's throat, and Hiei's hand hovered over his destroyed blade.

"Utter another word, detective, and I'll leave you here to die."

Kazane pressed a palm to her head. "Oh my _god_. You are dead when we get out of this. I'll kill you myself."

This was a goddamn shitshow.

"Jeez, fine!" Yusuke said easily. "Kurama, tell me your mom's name and how old she is."

Kurama responded almost instantly, seeming totally recovered after whatever recently transpired.

"Her name is Shiori. She is forty years old and she will be married in the fall."

Both Kazane and Yusuke began speaking at the same time, congratulations pouring from their lips. On Kazane's end it was part of moving past the last question as quickly as possible, though from what she could remember Kurama's human mother was as sweet as they came. Yusuke was all enthusiasm.

"Hey are we invited to the wedding?!"

Blondie interjected finally. "Only seven minutes."

Kazane snickered at Yusuke. "You in a suit?"

"Fuck off! Alright, Botan!" He said, turning towards the grim reaper. "Prove to me who you are by telling me your boob size."

Kazane and Botan moved in tandem, the grim reaper spilling curses out of her mouth while Kazane sent gusts of wind to mess up his hair as much as possible. It was a lucky shot (though she'd never admit it) that a particular cut careened towards his pants just right, and the green fabric sagged down even as his face turned pink.

"You are such a pig," Kazane emphasized. "Boxers with skulls on them? Really Yusuke?"

Yusuke looked away, his cheeks still crimson. "You never let me have any fun!"

"Need I remind you your girlfriend's slap could kill a man, not to mention her high kick could knock someone out if given the right opportunity and ability to hit their temple?"

"Yeah, thanks to you!"

It was meant as a reprimand but pride still burgeoned in Kazane's chest all the same. Keiko was a quick learner, and eager to please.

"This stupidity is making me nauseous," Hiei spat, and as Yusuke's turned to him a coy expression washed over his features.

"Okay then, what's your sister's name?"

The room tensed once more, the only person left out of the loop Kuwabara, and he sent many confused looks the others' way. Once he tried to meet Kazane's own however, he faltered, his fists clenched at his sides.

"You know her well enough. I refuse to play this nonsense game."

"So everyone knows about her except me?!" Kuwabara yelled.

Hopefully whatever memories he incurred here (since he really wasn't him) wouldn't transfer. Idiot; she hadn't even asked Genkai if that was how it worked.

"We don't have time to talk about this, in any case," Kurama said. "Yusuke, make a decision."

Yusuke's brows furrowed as hard as they could go it seemed. "Get off me, I'm going as fast as I can!" After a brief moment of clarity he suppressed a laugh, darting between all five of them. "Guys? What's with the stupid looking name-tags?"

"Spirit world bullshit," Kazane responded.

"If a certain someone had paid more attention when I was explaining their tools to them, they'd know that these are your Megiru Seals!"

Botan was absolutely livid, and it took Kurama and Kazane both trying to restrain her to prevent her marching forward and trying to inflict harm on Yusuke. On another level Kazane could sympathize, because what use were tools when you had your own power?

"You know," Botan continued, a finger pointed threateningly at Yusuke. "Sometimes I think you might be the imposter!"

Whatever was happening in this mansion was going on for way too long, and even if Kazane didn't have a good track of time she knew when events were being stretched out. She caught the gaze of Blondie, and as soon as she made contact with him she tried to impress all her emotions into a glare, incisors possibly poking out.

Despite her intimidating tactics he simply stared, looking for all the world like a kid bored with his toys.

Botan steered Kazane closer into what was easily becoming a team huddle, the hand at her elbow warm. Did grim reapers have body heat? She couldn't remember. Her perfume was the same but maybe she wasn't who she appeared to be.

"So the imposter cannot remove the seals," Kurama surmised, looking at everyone huddled together. "Alright, ready?"

Kazane reached out for the sticker affixed on Botan, Hiei's hand coming into her own personal space, heat radiating off of it. In one quick movement each sticker was removed, a gasp resounding from the others' lips. Kazane simply ground her teeth together. It was proving insanely difficult to pretend to be surprised when the five of them were directly in front of one another.

"This is rather troubling," Kurama said uneasily.

Everyone began speaking rapid-fire, panic in their eyes, and Kazane turned once more to look at Blondie.

It was annoying that her memory was getting hazy, but after seventeen years in a new body, away from any form of media on Yu Yu Hakusho, it made sense. The most annoying thing about it stemmed from the fact that certain plot points she could remember clearly, while others were hard as hell to pin down. The boy returning her stare gave her a strange, uncomfortable feeling, something she couldn't put her finger on.

"Your friend, Broomstick," Kazane began, gaining the attention of her comrades. "He guarded the door but didn't reveal his powers like Kaito did."

Blondie smirked. "Very astute. Yanagisawa's power is copy."

There was no way Kazane could have guessed that was Broomstick's name.

"That's why your seals don't work. He has the ability to copy not only someone's appearance, but their voice, their mannerisms, their memories. And yes, even this so-called energy print." He turned to goad Yusuke. "He could copy your own mother and you would never tell the difference, not even with your little magic stickers."

"Bastard."

"From what my watch says, your time's run out. In a few moments, I'm going to release you. Then it will be decision time. I want you to approach the person you think is the imposter and hit them as hard as you can!"

Yusuke's eyes went wide. "Are you insane?!"

"Sorry, champ, but that's the only way to disarm Yana's power. He has to be hit so hard that it knocks him unconscious. And of course, if you choose the wrong person I'll have your captive friend killed. So, try to be smart, okay?"

Body once again trembling with barely-concealed rage Yusuke snarled. "What's your deal? What do you get out of doing this to us?"

"I was wondering when you'd ask that. You've made a lot of friends and enemies, Yusuke. And now, we're doing one of them a special favor."

It was rather smooth how Blondie didn't say whether they were acting on behalf of a friend or foe. Slowly he began stepping off of Yusuke's shadow, the greaser nearly falling forward at the returned control to his body.

"Now make your pick. You only have thirty seconds to choose."

The room was tense, everyone around Kazane seeming to plead silently with Yusuke and convey that they weren't the imposter. Kurama's jaw was set, his fists clenched. Botan had a determined expression, though a bead of nervous sweat betrayed her true anxiety. Kuwabara looked coiled and ready to dart forward and knock Blondie's lights out, while Hiei stood stone-faced and quiet.

"I've decided. Just don't take this personally."

With an impressive roar Yusuke darted forward, fist already glowing cyan with energy. He intentionally kept to the center before veering in Kuwabara's direction, and the ginger thug let out a yelp just before his face crushed inwards, body blown back into the wall. The revealed form of Broomstick - Yanagisawa, whoever - lay motionless beneath broken easels, energy crackling as the illusion was dispelled.

It was an impressive punch, and Kazane reached a hand up to her own cheek, thankful Genkai had at least taken her suggestion seriously. She was rather fond of her face.

"Wow, you actually figured it out," Blondie breathed. "How did you know that the imposter was Kuwabara?"

Yusuke straightened, not turning to look back as he replied. "I chose him because I know that he's used to me pounding his face in, if nothing else. Besides, Hiei and Kurama are too smart and untrusting. They'd never just walk right into your trap."

Kurama smiled. "Yes, or attempt to scream the word 'hot'." Hiei instantly sulked, crossing his arms.

Yusuke glanced over at Kazane before continuing. "Kazane isn't the type to get knocked over the head and taken hostage; she'd probably blast the whole floor apart before letting you use her as a pawn."

While his words did make her feel considerably warm and fuzzy she had to admit their first mission together had actually turned out that way, though she had found a way out of her restraints eventually.

"Now that still left me Botan, and if you dirt-bags were low enough to take advantage of the only non-fighter it wouldn't matter if I lost. Even if you killed me, I would come back from the dead and drop kick your ass, so Kuwabara was the safest bet."

As Botan's eyes began swimming with tears Kazane smiled. It filled her with something akin to pride to see Yusuke coming into his own, resuming his role as team leader effortlessly and spouting threats to those who would do their team harm. And while she knew Yusuke didn't have any qualms about hitting a girl (if they were a fighter and his life was in danger), scummy tactics used against them would ensure a brutal death.

She was inwardly relieved that Botan hadn't been taken captive because then he'd probably go into a frenzy about the whole ordeal.

That, and it was almost a fact he'd harbor guilt over her coming in the first place only to get taken.

"I must say," Blondie continued. "You're quite impressive."

Yusuke wheeled around to face him, shoulders tensed and ready for a fight. "The game's over! Now cough up Kuwabara."

"And he better not be injured!" Botan added.

"Kuwabara is just fine, and I will return him to you in the very near future. But first off, I'd like to introduce to you the master of this plan."

Kazane's shoulders relaxed in tandem with the door opening, and with a glint of emerald eyes she caught Kurama staring at her.

Well, if she knew him and his intellect well enough then there was no doubt her little gesture had given away her knowledge of the test.

Genkai emerged from the darkness at a relaxed pace, gasps and exclamations coming from Yusuke and Botan. The lights in the room finally flickered on, the bizarre architecture and color schemes now even more visible than under torchlight. She smirked, arms in their usual position behind her back, and took in the perplexed expressions of everyone in front of her.

"I can't believe it," Yusuke forced. "Why would you do something like this?" At Genkai's amused silence he stepped forward. "Tell me, you crazy old hag!"

The bulky phone Blondie had been holding in his hand clattered to the floor, and he immediately bent into a formal bow.

"I'm sorry! Forgive me, I failed you master."

It was weird seeing a display like this directed towards the old psychic, because if Kazane didn't know any better she'd think that she secretly enjoyed the teasing, informal way Yusuke and her acted during training. As if to reaffirm Kazane's suspicions Genkai looked back at the boy, one of her eyes spasming with irritation.

"Cool it with the theatrics, alright Kido? If we're being honest here I was counting on you screwing it up."

"You never cease to surprise me, Genkai," Kurama said. "Though I confess I assumed you were behind this little ruse."

Kazane grimaced at two pairs of eyes on her, emerald and a very exasperated teak.

"I never took acting classes, alright!" She defended, wincing as Yusuke rounded on her. "I thought I did a pretty good job of going along with it."

"What the hell?!" He yelled. "You were in on this too? This doesn't make any sense! Why don't you explain it, redhead, because I'm obviously going nuts."

"It's a test, dumbass," Kazane replied dryly. "And a lesson about perception if I've got it right, though beats me what she's thinking at any given moment."

Genkai rolled her eyes. "Quiet, Ms. Know-It-All. It's a lesson you must learn very well; I guarantee this won't be the last time you come in contact with individuals who possess the power of Territory."

Botan tugged on Kazane's sweater, a downcast expression on her pretty face. "I can't _believe_ you didn't clue us in!" She turned back towards Kurama. "When did you figure it out?"

"I would argue Kazane gave us many clues, mostly due to her lack of prowess as an actress. Body language, for the most part."

She rolled her eyes at the fox demon, waving a hand. "My ego will never recover," She said sarcastically. After a slight chuckle Kurama continued.

"Generally when Yusuke is in danger you become self-sacrificing, though in this case you merely seemed impatient, asking leading questions towards our opponents."

Kazane grumbled, the tips of her ears growing hot. Not only was this a bashing on her playing oblivious but now it was quickly turning into a critique on her other actions.

"Still, if they had truly used their resources, wanted it more, we most definitely would have been defeated."

Yusuke scoffed. "Oh, give me a break!"

Kurama continued as if he hadn't been interrupted. "But there was an ulterior motive here, and I realized that whoever orchestrated this was trying to tell us something about ourselves. That would require someone who knows us well, and meant no harm."

Kazane, Genkai, and Yusuke all made a noise at his last few words. Genkai had dropped the two of them in with snakes during training, for fuck's sake. Harm was a part of her training.

Hiei's brows were furrowed, evidently irritated at being duped. Hopefully that anger wouldn't last too long with Kazane.

"You still haven't given us a reason. You haven't sufficiently explained what you're trying to accomplish just by rubbing their powers in our faces."

Well someone was still salty about Kaito's little word game.

"The five of you are well trained fighters," Genkai answered simply. "However, as four of you have found out, there will be instances when your physical strength will not be able to help you, so you must depend on your mind. If you had used that lump three feet above your ass you might've prevented Kazane from losing her soul. And you," She rounded on Kazane, who winced again. "Would have let him learn his lesson instead of sparing his pride."

There were extenuating circumstances guiding her actions but...she was right. Despite being somewhat of a spectator Kazane did fall into the same trap as the others.

Yusuke took this moment to step forward, a defeated expression on his face.

"Are you for real? You almost let those jerks steal your soul? And you let them take your soul?" He said to Kazane. "Man, what if I'd really been in danger? Show some skill you two!"

Kazane's eyebrow twitched, and she immediately gripped the greaser's shirt collar just as Genkai turned her own furious gaze on him.

"Oh? And what about you, dimwit?! Are you foolish enough to think that one of your enemies would just hand over that information?"

Evidently he was, for he slumped where he stood, the hand pressing against Kazane's face in attempt to get her to stop trying to pummel him falling back at his side.

"If an enemy captures you you're as good as dead, if you remember anything then remember that."

Kazane released Yusuke's collar, biting her lip. "It's kind of a fluke that when I was chained up in Maze Castle I didn't die. Even before I stabbed Suzaku I almost did. Lightning's a bitch."

The greaser's eyes widened, filled now with concern instead of defensiveness. Kazane's words must have gotten through to him, because he paused before turning back towards Genkai, brows knit.

"Alright, well you still haven't told us who these scrubs are. They aren't actually enemies, right? So who the hell are they?"

"Brats who came to Genkai's because they didn't understand their powers," Kazane answered, and Genkai's huff was enough affirmation the others needed.

"You're telling me they were at the temple with you? Seriously? What, did you cook for them, too?"

Ignoring the jealous tone in Yusuke's voice Kazane rolled her eyes, replying more harshly than she intended. "I'm not the type of person to let people go without good food. Especially when being worked to the bone by Genkai."

The old psychic apparently had enough of their bickering. "You two zip it. Go on, Kido. Inform them."

Blondie, still prostrate on the floor, obliged. "Yes, master. Kaito, Yana, and I all went to her compound for advice when we developed our powers. That's where we learned about you, Yusuke, and your team."

Yusuke's fists clenched, wheeling on Kazane and interrupting Kido's explanation. "What'd you do? Tell stories around the campfire about us?"

Before she could respond, shaking with anger, Genkai interrupted once more, a livid expression on her face.

"She happened upon them by chance. She was no more welcoming than you are now, despite making dinner. Save your jealous complaints, Yusuke."

The greaser grumbled, cheeks pink as he crossed his arms. In the pit of Kazane's stomach was dread; something was on his mind, and he was taking this entire test personally. Maybe she should've told him, but that would've ruined the entire point of it all.

After Genkai waved her hand Blondie -Kido, whatever- continued.

"The truth of it is, we've only had these new abilities for about a month. Same as all the other new psychics."

"New psychics?" Botan exclaimed.

"The cause of which is our greatest threat," Genkai continued.

"Humans don't just develop psychic abilities in droves for no reason," Kazane added, lighting a cigarette. Her nerves were frayed; this was not the conclusion to the test she wanted.

Kurama was backing her into a corner and she had to plan out their meeting tomorrow. Yusuke was irritated beyond belief and she needed to talk to him, figure out why. More than likely the others understood why she kept silent during the whole thing, but still she felt guilt gnawing at her brain.

"I assume some of you have already noticed the demon insects flying through the city."

Wherever Genkai had learned this piece of information, it wasn't from Kazane. She hadn't spoken of it since Hiei told her about them. Maybe the old woman had informants, or contacts within Tokyo? She was renown; acquaintances could have sent her letters detailing what was going on. She didn't know. Something seemed to have clicked after she saw Kuwabara's energy lying dormant, and maybe she pursued leads based on that fact.

"You don't mean…" Kurama gasped, handsome face plagued with worry.

"Someone is carving out a tunnel to the Demon World. Sakyo's plan from the Dark Tournament was not buried with him."

The pneumatic door across from them opened, and a tall, muscled figure began walking out.

"Yeah, Genkai just filled me in. Apparently Koenma found out and never told us. Sakyo wanted money so he could drill some doomsday tunnel."

The levity of the situation was lightened by the sight of the ginger thug striding out wearing only the most verdant red boxers Kazane had ever seen, and she inhaled sharply before turning her gaze away, Botan following suit. Genkai couldn't have left him a sheet or _something_?

"Politicians," Kazane cursed under her breath, and Yusuke muttered in agreement.

"It's not my fault that idiot stole my clothes! Jeez," Kuwabara cursed, flushing deeply as he went to pry the garments off Broomstick (Yana/Yanagisawa. She needed to actually commit their names to memory).

Botan finally turned back around when he was out of view, her lips pursed as she digested this information.

"I thought Sakyo died when he blew up the stadium."

Genkai answered: "He's dead. We're sure of that. And now he's rolling in his grave because someone continued his plan without him."

Yusuke stood still, a thousand-yard stare taking the place of slight humor and irritation in his features. "It just keeps going, doesn't it?"

Under her breath, puffing out a cloud of smoke opposite where the others stood Kazane spoke: "Trauma begets trauma."

Because it was true, and this next entanglement was a shitshow of epic proportions. Their opponent a human, Yusuke's burgeoning lineage only appearing during their trials. A lot of dumb, black-and-white bullshit realting back to demons and humans.

Kazane meant it when she said, months ago, that people were multifaceted. Even demons. Her past life was a myriad of grey, breaking the law to provide for those close to her. She was now in a romantic relationship with a demon, one with a reputation. Her own father committed rape and other egregious offenses, and once more she thanked whatever god out there for Jin's existence. For breaking the mold.

She broke off from the others, towards the ginger thug unsuccessfully trying to pull his pants up above his thighs. Whatever expression on her face must have been enough for him, because instead of exclamations on Kazane seeing his chicken legs, he continued in silence.

After a deep breath, doing her best to ignore a somewhat pointed glance from Yusuke, Kazane sighed. "Hey, I need some air."

Without a word Kuwabara followed her outside, buttoning his pants as he hustled along.

* * *

**Note:**

**Sorry for the wait. I hate this chapter.**

**That sounds awful but, hear me out. This feels like filler, like shit YYH fans already know, that I just have to write through to get to the next arc. Kind of like the tournament fights. And the writing's tight, so not much room for change. I thought about making Botan the imposter, but considering Genkai being involved it made more sense to stick to plot and have Kuwabara taken. Maybe that was wrong? I have no idea. Maybe it just reflects on me as a writer.**

**I hate the beginning of this arc because it's just an exposition dump, and there'll be scenes with Yusuke and Genkai coming up, as well as Kurama. I've been planning the Kurama-confrontation scene for a minute. Hopefully that makes up for this canon-tight dialogue dump.**

**I am excited for the next arc, because I have a lot of big plans for it and plot twists and just...idk, expanding upon the moral dilemmas the series doesn't do very well. Don't get me wrong; I love YYH to pieces but the Chapter Black Saga has a lot that could be better expanded upon. I hope I do it justice. Also revelations about Kazane and her origins.**

**In any sense, I hope y'all are doing well. Eternal blessings to TsubakiFujimoto, TasukiLover05, Vienna22, and MissLini for the reviews. Thanks for keeping me going, despite sporadic updates.**

**Fun question: How do y'all theorize Kazane got here, knowing what you know about YYH lore? I'd love to hear your opinions, especially right before getting into the thick of it.**

**Title credit goes to Test Drive by Joji.**


	24. I Want to Know Your Plans

Thankfully, whatever madman had designed this building allowed for a balcony to the outside, and Kazane relished in the cool breeze, trying her best to avoid getting cigarette smoke in her eyes as she puffed away.

Whatever floor they were on seemed like an abandoned art studio, if the easels and paintings were any clue, and the heavy atmosphere of the conversation combined with the aesthetic was enough to make her feel slightly claustrophobic.

Kuwabara said nothing for the first few minutes they were outside, merely looking slightly uncomfortable as he readjusted his clothing. After Kazane sighed and pressed herself against the exterior wall, sliding down, he mirrored her.

"You okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Just...a lot going on. Are you okay, though? Blockhead didn't mess you up too bad, did he?"

"Nah, it was weird actually; one minute I was walking in that spooky corridor and the next I'm waking up in a closet with Genkai."

If her chest didn't feel so heavy Kazane would have chuckled. As it was she merely grimaced, casting her gaze up towards the sky.

Where even would she begin, without giving everything away? Though, even if she said more than she meant to she could either chalk it up to whatever Genkai had found, or she could just count on Kuwabara to take her word. Whether he shared it with the others was his own choice.

Kazane sighed. "Listen, the way Genkai phrased it? It doesn't come close to what we're in for."

Kuwabara swallowed thickly, but he stayed silent, eyes locked on her form.

"In Mushiyori City there's a literal shitstorm happening; humans developing psychic powers, weird bugs roaming around. It's a mess. If this keeps happening then demons even stronger than Toguro will be able to come through and start wreaking havoc in Mushiyori City, Tokyo...you name it."

The pallor was starting to drain from Kuwabara's face, a pale sweat forming on his skin, but despite that Kazane kept going.

"You told me back at the hotel if I needed to talk about something then you're a good listener," She explained softly. "And I know you pride yourself on being a man of your word, so..." She gestured vaguely into air.

Confusion knit across his brow, but still he said nothing. Kazane took one last pull off her cig before stubbing the end, wrapping her arms around her legs. She probably looked incredibly pathetic right now.

"I'm...scared," She forced out, almost choking on the words. "I was scared before, when Yusuke fought Toguro, but this is different. This is big. It's even more dangerous, and we've just gotten back home."

Tears weren't building up in her eyes, but she was trembling slightly. It was the sheer enormity of what was to come, the fact they couldn't fully prepare for it, and all other extraneous bullshit going on alongside the revelation. Somewhere in the back of her mind a panic alarm sounded, because if demons stronger than Toguro could get through with the tunnel then Rannon could get through, and who knew how much stronger he had become in the last ten years?

A hand curled around her wrist, warm, and Kazane looked up to find Kuwabara staring at her with concern.

"It is pretty heavy," He began, slightly uncomfortable. "But the one thing I've learned going into a fight is you never know if you're gonna win; you just have to give it your all, and I learned that before I even got wrapped up in Urameshi's crap. The same thing's true for all this demon business we've gotten into. It's easy to worry about stuff, but actually doin' it is the hard part." Kuwabara smiled. "It's okay to be afraid."

Kazane smiled in turn, blinking rapidly in an attempt to stem the crying before it could actually happen. She opened her mouth, but her words were cut off as a rustle of clothing caused her to turn.

Hiei was staring at her, an unnameable expression in his gaze.

"Koenma won't begin his explanation on demon world without you both there."

His words were stilted, harsh, and Kazane internally winced as she sat back upright, feeling like he was trying to stare through her. She did wonder why he never bothered scouring her mind with his Jagan; it would make things a lot easier i.e. trying to decipher her thoughts.

Kuwabara got to his feet immediately, making his way back into the building and leaving the two out on the overhang in awkward silence.

"What happened after Kaito stole my soul?" She asked, not meeting his gaze.

Hiei took a few seconds before answering, the same stoic expression on his face.

"He became frightened." After a confused look from Kazane he extrapolated. "Your soul was dark, tormented. Once he acquired Botan's and the oaf's he appeared even more upset."

So even her soul harbored void. She bit her lip in contemplation, before Hiei jerked his head towards the door, and she followed suit back into the brightly lit room.

The others were standing around some weird suitcase-laptop-thing, and once Kazane appeared alongside Botan Koenma broke into a grin.

"Kazane! G-Good to see you!"

The redhead merely offered him a small smile, mind wandering as he launched into an explanation on demon world.

It all seemed very clinical with the computer layouts on the simple explanations. She knew that demon world was a series of different levels, though hell if she knew which she was born on. Likely one of the lower ones if she had to guess. It was strange looking at the weird, geometric shapes Koenma used to explain everything. In her mind she saw the barren expanses, the red skies, the way blood stained the dirt more often than not.

And putting those thoughts aside, spirit world only controlled half of the first level of demon world. It made sense why subjugation happened constantly, since any outside authority was barred from 90% of it. Though, Kazane didn't put much stock into spirit world's authority anyway. It was a shit situation any way she looked at it.

"Now Koenma, you and King Yama are not the idle type," Genkai began, breaking Kazane out of her reverie. "If you knew of such a danger, surely you have taken precautions."

"Sure," Koenma replied easily, a new infographic displayed on the screen. "To seal off the Pseudo Space around demon world, spirit world has raised a powerful Kekkai Barrier."

Images of flame-lit chainlink fences popped into Kazane's mind, and she pushed the memory of her escape to the human realm further down. Now was not the time.

"Oh great!" Botan exclaimed. "Barriers! And you've had us worried over nothing! Hold on, so why are demons still passing through?"

A bead of sweat dripped down Koenma's face. "We had to make priorities and stop the A and S class demons above all else. Even our resources are limited. The only way to make a barrier large enough was to spread the energy into a net."

"I see, like a filter!"

"Yes. While B class demons can squeeze through, the larger A and S class demons are held at bay."

Kazane scratched the back of her neck. "I'm half demon but Jin was able to shoot me through the barrier like it was nothing," She explained. "And there was _no_ gap in the barrier. He could've passed through, too, probably."

Yusuke clenched his fists, glaring at Koenma. "No! How could you sign off on a plan like that? You intentionally made it so that hundreds of demons like Toguro could just prance on over here whenever they want?!"

From where they stood amongst the others Hiei and Koenma held stern faces, betraying no emotion. Whatever class they had been when they ascended into human world the barrier let them.

"You have to imagine the alternative, Yusuke," Koenma explained, eyes closed and pinched on the edges with stress. "If just one S class demon crossed into the living world..."

He didn't have to say any more. Toguro was enough of a powerhouse, and Kazane's memories of Rannon still were fresh in her mind; the asshole could level entire fields with his wind prowess. The barrier was a solution, albeit a band-aid patch on an open wound, but as much as Kazane hated it, it was better than nothing.

Joints popped, and near where she stood Kazane could see Kuwabara's face contorted into an expression of frustration. If they hadn't been interrupted by Hiei then she could've used the moment outside to explain what was going on. She pressed a hand to his arm, and he immediately stilled.

"You're not out of the loop," She impressed. "I'll fill you in."

Her words seemed to mollify him, at least for the time being, and he stood upright with arms crossed. It did miff her that nobody seemed concerned or interested in clueing him in at all. Yeah, things were bleak but couldn't Koenma have used some other type of communicator than one that relied on spirit energy?

The more Kazane explained, the more downcast Kuwabara's face became, and eventually he was hunched over with arms hanging loosely at his sides. Whatever stoicism that was left faded, and it was as if he had forgotten the comforting words he had told Kazane earlier on the balcony. She had no idea what to say that would be on par, and she watched with regret in her chest as he began absolutely Freaking Out.

"I need to marry a girl! Grow my first mustache! But now you're tellin' me someone's makin' a big hole, so that pretty soon a bunch of demons way more powerful than Toguro can start attacking us all at once? The A and the S guys not even spirit world can control?! Has hope truly left us? Is this the end of everything?!"

Tears were beginning to pour, and Kazane rolled her eyes because if he was actually losing his shit at this news then what the hell did he think she was talking about back on the balcony?

Guilt once more poured into her stomach. Children, they were _children_. Once again sat with the fate of all of human world.

"Get over it," Genkai interrupted harshly. "We'll talk about our plan in a minute, but I need to rescue Kaito, first."

"Oh, right, the bookworm. I forgot about him."

Truth be told Kazane had almost forgotten about him, too. If it weren't for her absolutely terrifying experience being back in void and asking Hiei what her soul looked like, she would have too.

She staggered along behind the rest, Hiei coming to step alongside her as they walked back towards the first floor of the mansion. The warmth emanating from him did help abate her anxiety a little bit, but with everything going on she was more or less just trapped going over thoughts and plot elements in her mind.

Kaito was still laid across the tiled floor, a ridiculous expression crossing his face. Kazane hadn't noticed him earlier; probably due to the plants writhing around them thanks to Kurama. Still, what she wouldn't give to see whatever expression was on Kurama's face when Kaito had seen him. It would likely make for good blackmailing material.

His soul hovered precariously over his body, and Kazane watched it with interest. If (from what she remembered) the souls were formed with a clear, penetrating light, then what the hell had her's looked like?

Genkai stood before Katio's body, centering herself before going through various forms, finally aiming a palm at his naked soul with a yell. It immediately retracted back into Kaito's frozen body, and after a moment the boy sat upright, adjusting his glasses.

"A full house," He said, completely unsurprised. "I take it everything went just as you planned, Master Genkai."

"You played your part well," Kurama offered. "You lost, but it was a stirring introduction."

Kaito scoffed. "I wasn't playing along. I tried my hardest to defeat you. For once I wanted to see you lose, but I'll just have to wait a little longer.""

Everyone present for the test seemed to tense, and Kazane rolled her eyes as Yusuke stepped up to offer...kind words? She didn't really know what.

"Nice thinkin', brain boy. So you put your soul on the line because he's beaten you in some math quizzes? What if grandma hadn't been there to save you?"

"Simple," Genkai spat. "He would have faded into nothing."

Kazane's stomach clenched. Was that what would have happened to her? Would it have happened regardless if she hadn't been thrust into this world? All of her memories, all of her thoughts; everything that made her, gone?

It wasn't like she had any belief there was something after death, and the void seemed to prove it. Still, when offered words as blunt as Genkai's her mind reeled, because it was terrifying. How long would her soul's unraveling taken?

"Kaito's a risk taker," Genkai continued. "That's why these three came to me for help. He'd removed his own soul, and they didn't know how to put it back. A soul is fragile without a body or ghost to protect it. In one full day it would break apart."

Her explanation may have cleared things up for the rest of them, but they only brought Kazane more anxiety. She bit her lip. If souls operated the same way in this world as her previous one, then she'd been dead for less than twenty-four hours before being thrust into this nonsense. Who could say, though; everything here was so tangible, and in her past life it was all hypothesis and subjection. Spirit energy didn't even exist.

She was getting a headache trying to analyze and rationalize it all.

Kurama smiled. "And yet, your curious mind could not help but pose the question."

"Real discovery takes risk," Kaito answered. "I had to know what would happen if I broke my own rule."

"A logician through and through," Kazane said, not unkindly, and Kaito shuffled slightly before responding, standing fully upright.

"Let me introduce myself formally to the group. My name is Yuu Kaito. I have the power of taboo."

Blondie continued: "My name's Asato Kido, my power is shadow."

"Mitsunari Yanagisawa, and I call my talent copy."

Genkai strode in front of the three brats, looking weary and exhausted. How long had she been planning this for? Kazane knew it would happen but when had they come to the temple, and how did she not know, as much of an early bird as she was?

"Like I told you, they all live in Mushiyori City. It's been a full month since they developed their powers, and there are many others like them."

"That's only a few weeks after the closing of the Dark Tournament," Kurama commented, brows knit with irritation.

"Yeah, and that was at the beginning of Stage Two, right?" Yusuke offered. "So that means it was just days after I fought Toguro when this whole tunnel business got started."

The laptop-suitcase began beeping angrily, causing Kazane to jump, and Botan immediately went over to unlatch the lid and bring up Koenma on the LCD.

"We've just finished calculating the growth rate on that tunnel, guys," He began, looking even more upset than before. "It's bad. As is, it will reach Stage Four in three weeks."

Yusuke's eyes went as wide as saucers, his breathing fragmented as the news hit him. "Only three weeks?!"

His limbs began shaking, and once more he was staring off into space as his mind tried to wrap around the fact that they had so little time to literally save the world. Kazane stepped towards him, placing a hand on his shoulder, and though he didn't bat her away his muscles were tense. She squeezed, trying to bring him back to what was happening in the moment, and after he shook his head to clear his thoughts he cast a glance at her, subtly leaning in closer to her touch.

They may have some weird, unresolved dispute that they'd talk about later, but with the shitstorm happening around them that could wait.

Yusuke's eyes once more latched onto Koenma. "There's gotta be something we can do. Can't you like close the hole back up?"

"The only way is to stop the tunnel's creator. This isn't a normal hole, it's not physical yet. It's a distortion in space-time, one point three kilometers wide. But once it hits two kilometers, it stabilizes, changing from energy conduit to a physical space. You don't use a drill to make a hole like this. You use a psychic, nested at the center point."

Kazane grimaced. "So we head to demon world and pummel the psychic into dirt."

"Not exactly," Genkai said, sighing. "Learn from your mistakes today. What I wouldn't give for successors with brains."

Kazane withdrew her hand from Yusuke's shoulder after hearing the frustrated groan he elicited. It was a half-hearted comment but she knew both of them took it to heart.

"Do you know how much trouble I went to, planning this ordeal? The whole point of tonight was to teach you one thing; you cannot go into this without understanding your enemy's powers. You will lose!"

Yusuke stood once more from his crouched position, fists clenched.

"And you've gone deaf again! Koenma said we can't wait."

Kuwabara finally blinked out of his depressed stupor. "If the tunnel's completed we're doomed."

"That still allows us three weeks. And three questions to answer; how many fighters in their group? Who is their leader? And what's the true nature of their powers? Without those answers, attacking would be suicide."

Kazane took another cigarette from her pack, feeling like a total failure considering her prior goal to quit. This whole situation had brought up way more anxiety than she had ever imagined, and all she wanted was a break. A real break, for all of them. Maybe a sunny beach somewhere they could all just laze around as much as they wanted. Sandcastles, popsicles, the whole nine yards.

She'd make it happen one day.

"Toguro gave you the advantage by at least showing you a glimpse of what he was capable of before the Dark Tournament." She willed her body to stop the trembling, inhaling nicotine and tar. "It's not going to be the same this time. I wouldn't be surprised if someone involved with him and Sakyo were working together with this psychic, but we have to be ready."

Once a day, one step forward. Again and again.

"Koenma," Hiei said, stepping forward. "If these fools are done, I have my own question. In what class do you rank me?"

Oh sweet Jesus.

"Hiei," Kurama began, but the fire demon shrugged off his warning.

"What? It's a fair question. If his spirit world lackeys are going to place a letter on me, then I deserve to know."

Koenma hesitated, looking first at Hiei and then Kazane, who, while finding this all ridiculous agreed to his sentiments, and gave him an exasperated look. After admitting they had put a label on demons of course Hiei would never let it go.

"Oh, very well Hiei, I'll tell you." He didn't meet his eyes. "As I've said, the Toguro brothers were considered in the upper B, and as of the end of the Dark Tournament you are ranked in the middle of B Class."

Hiei growled. "Underestimate me even now?"

"For the record, when you fought Yusuke you only had an upper D Class ranking. But in less than a year you've jumped up nearly two full classes. Quite an astounding feat, to be sure. You have much to be proud of."

"You're a child. Don't father me."

Hiei began making his way towards the exit, towered by the bookcases lining the walls, and Kazane stepped forward, blinking smoke from her eyes as she tried to focus on the toddler before her.

"Koenma, do you have a rating system for half-demons?"

Her words did seem to stop Hiei in his tracks, for as the pneumatic door to the room opened he halted, not looking back towards the others.

"I'm sorry Kazane, but we don't separate the classes as half-demons are, strictly speaking, a different breed." His tone was almost apologetic. "I will say that if we had to rank you based on your strength and skills you would be in the upper C Class ranking."

Upper C class? That's the average strength for demons.

She didn't meet his gaze, or any of the others' for that matter, simply stepped back as she continued taking drags off her cigarette. What did she expect though, really? With her lineage she was lucky to be even on par with the others, though her comrades were miles above where she was. Kazane resisted the urge to crush her cancer stick between her fingers. Despite the tense atmosphere in the room both Kuwabara and Yusuke stepped forward, although only the greaser placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Putting your faith in their lackluster rating system would be unwise," Hiei hissed. "Koenma may have seen you fight, but all of us have felt your energy." He paused. "To quote your words earlier: I need some air."

With that he stepped out of the room, nary a glance back in Kazane's direction, but despite his abrupt departure and no doubt wounded ego she felt...happy?

Maybe spirit world's rating system was bullshit, but it did make her feel less sure of herself. Labels had always been a tricky subject, because while they offered relief for some aspects, for others they just made people feel more like shit. This instance was definitely one where she felt like shit.

Still, Hiei had gone out of his way to make her feel valued. Despite his own ego being bruised, despite hating every second of Genkai's test, and despite learning Kazane had been involved in the whole ordeal. He was a porcupine in every sense of the word but she'd be damned if he didn't reciprocate her actions in his own, stupid way.

"He may act like the same selfish punk from the start, but at least he gets you."

Kuwabara gave her a strange look; some genuine smile mingled with frustration and an eyebrow twitch, and despite the emotions rocketing to her core Kazane smiled.

"He'll come and rescue us at the end when we need him the most," Yusuke added.

"Just so he can show off," Kazane added, feeling heartened.

"It's hard to predict what he'll do," Kurama began, handsome face betraying no emotions. "Humanity's destruction was Hiei's former dream. These new developments leave him much to consider. And your relationship changes things substantially," With his final words he gave Kazane a coy look, the same as from the tournament, and she flushed, crossing her arms.

As if she needed a lecture from Kurama to really drive home the point; as crass as she might be her goal had been to get Hiei to see humans as more than greedy parasites, because as much as she wanted to deny her true lineage after what they'd been through she was human, and took pride in it.

Emotions weren't exclusive to humans, after all. And damn, did she know that.

Kuwabara shuffled uncomfortably. "So what now?"

"We move into the city at sunrise and begin scouting," Genkai replied, seemingly unmoved by events that had just happened. "These three will go with us; they could be of some use."

"You guys game for that?" Yusuke asked, hands once more in his pockets.

"What do you think?" Broo- Yana replied, a bemused expression on his face. "It's our home town, man. We're not gonna watch it turn into some demon parade."

"Yes," Kaito added. "We've already been given our powers. The way I see it, we can either help out the humans or the demons, and to tell you the truth, I prefer my own kind." After a pause he glanced at Kazane. "No offense meant."

"And none taken," She replied, stubbing the cigarette out. Man, she had really broken her limit per day. Still, this probably necessitated some type of vice to get through. "We're all working toward the same goal."

"It's the same for me," Kido added. "I'm not letting anyone take my turf."

"Nice," Genkai said, expressionless as ever in the face of turmoil. "Now, the next job for all of you is to get what sleep you can. In the morning we'll divide into two teams so we can cover more territory. Until we know more, no one goes home and no one leaves the group. Goodnight."

"We're all sleepin' in this freaky house?" Kuwabara yelled, apoplectic. "But I didn't bring my special pillow!"

Kazane groaned. "Jesus, Genkai, are you serious?" She wanted her explosion of bedding. She wanted a stupid fire with Hiei so she could vent, wanted some semblance of normal before everything happened.

"Of course I'm serious; we have no time to waste."

Both her and Yusuke grumbled, trying to find a spot along the walls to park themselves. Neither had brought any bedding, and they slid down the walls shooting each other a gaze of comforting camaraderie. In their periphery everyone else ventured out to find a bed or at least some type of lodging.

Despite what was going on between them Yusuke gave her a half-hearted grimace. Kazane reciprocated, feeling like the biggest idiot in the whole world. What was going on? Why had he been such a brat earlier? And why did she have to sleep in this godforsaken living work of art, when both her and Genkai had comfortable futons back home? Even a hotel would be better than this.

Well, at least she would be excluded from Kurama's weird invitation.

With a sigh she leaned against the firm walls, casting her gaze towards the balcony she had been on earlier.

* * *

Nobody said anything, much to her surprise.

The only person to offer comfort or a space was Botan, who suggested they share a room to themselves. Kazane declined.

It wasn't that sharing a room with another woman was making her uncomfortable; it was the multitude of thoughts just bouncing around in her brain. Everything from the tunnel, to her own classifications, to the fact they were trapped in this absurd house made her want to scream. Botan would have provided comfort, for sure, but the selfless words the grim reaper would have doled out were not what she wanted.

Instead Kazane ventured out onto the balcony.

The wind was relentless, buffeting her as soon as she stepped on the stone tiles. It was a stupid layout for a living space; artistic but hardly practical. If she couldn't have a moment to just think then it was ridiculous.

Kazane took in the view before her; stars even more apparent now than when she was out with Kuwabara, despite the city dimming their glow. A stark contrast from the temple. The night had a different tone to it; something that inspired vulnerability. She sat against the outside wall, hoping that what she thought would come true.

Everything was serene, very still, a total juxtaposition for most of her life. Night was the only time Kazane could just sit and think until her brain turned to mush; most times during day the threat of counterattack or one of Genkai's weird lessons were pervasive.

She pressed her entire weight against the painted wood, wishing for all the world for some escapism as she held her head in her hands.

Soft footsteps padded out onto the landing towards her, and Kazane's head shot up as her heart wrenched, only to sink as Genkai strode out from the dark interior, tendrils of bubblegum hair blowing lightly in the breeze. All in all, she looked like the personification of a willow tree, if the leaves were cherry blossoms as opposed to standard green. She took a seat beside the redhead, easily contorting into lotus with her back as straight as ever.

Kazane didn't know what to say. The silence steeped for many more minutes before Genkai handed one of her own cigarettes, a complex expression affixed on her face. The demoness mumbled a thanks, lighting it and copying the meditative position, though it did little good.

"Were you watching the tests?"

Genkai glanced over at her before responding, exhaling her own noxious cloud of smoke. "No. Kaito told me what happened. Seems your soul's aura rattled him, even though he is a novice in his abilities."

Hiei had said it was dark, tormented. Maybe it appeared like a smaller, more condensed version of his own Dragon.

"Do you have...a theory?"

This time Genkai didn't look over at her, teak eyes now staring off into the night. Not seeing the foliage and city lights, but past them, orbs unfocused as she mulled over her thoughts. Kazane was inwardly relieved, not for the first time, that at least she could be as open and honest with the old psychic as she wanted, the fear of disgust or rejection not even present. Even if the circumstances surrounding the revelation were miserable, Genkai simply took it as another quirk of her student.

"Your very existence is an anomaly," She began, voice gruff and soft at the same time. "If Koenma doesn't have any knowledge of your rebirth it's safe to assume spirit world was not involved. Something brought you back, unnaturally, and it's imprinted on your entire being."

It wasn't really news, but it did make Kazane's stomach coil into knots. Hearing it voiced aloud with solemn acceptance from Genkai made it even more cemented in reality. She hesitated before continuing.

"If we take into account the fact your energy is too volatile to heal with then we can assume its natural state is hostile for souls and spirits born naturally in this plane." After a pause she met Kazane's eyes, a pitying look in her gaze. "If I had to guess, the fact Hiei lived when you gave him your life energy was a fluke; he only survived because of the Dragon and its energy, nothing more."

Kazane's stomach dropped once more, and if it could physically descend she was sure it would be in her ovaries by now. The ash on the end of her cigarette was getting to extreme levels, begging to be flicked off. Instead she simply sat, almost numb, tears beading in the corners of her eyes as she realized the enormity of what Genkai had just said.

"I trust you know what I'm getting at."

Kazane did, and she felt her head nod seemingly of its own accord as she stared dazedly into the night. Her sheer ignorance of the nature of her energy would have likely caused trauma, pain, and a horrible death if it had been anyone other than Hiei. No use of life energy to help the others; that was now completely out of the question. Guilt assuaged her, and she bit her bottom lip to keep from trembling as guilt compounded on her psyche.

Who knew if a natural soul was condemned to void if it touched her raw life energy?

A warm, gnarled hand came to rest on her knee, and Kazane realized she was once again shaking.

"Get ahold of yourself," Genkai said harshly. "There's nothing we can do about the past. It's a lesson that needed to be learned, and it was sheer luck nothing worse happened. All we can do now is focus on the future."

She was right, as usual. Still, it took everything in Kazane's power to will herself to compartmentalize once more, lock anything down before she hurled over the stone tiling. Ring finger, pointer finger. Pinky, middle, repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

"The future isn't much brighter," She mumbled, ignoring the waver in her voice.

"And I'm assuming you know what's going to happen?" As the redhead opened her mouth the psychic rectified her words: "One _route_ of what's to happen?"

Finally ashing her cigarette -Genkai's cigarette- Kazane nodded, inhaling deeply before responding.

"I don't know how much Koenma's told you, or even if he's aware right now, but it's someone he knows spearheading this whole thing."

A crisp, cold silence ensued after her brief words, and for the first time in Kazane's life she saw Genkai's eyes grow wide, her face lose its color. The tight line of her thin lips didn't waver, and she didn't move an inch from where she sat in lotus, but the small reaction was similar to a bomb going off. The tone of Kazane's voice; soft and melancholy as opposed to sharp, spoke volumes to the possible candidates for the tunnel.

"Who?" Genkai hissed, voice almost a whisper.

A sharp inhale. "Shinobu Sensui."

This time it was Genkai who fully ignored her cigarette, posture entirely stilled as her brain began ploughing through this new knowledge offered. Kazane sighed, wincing as she released her legs from lotus to spread out the length of the balcony. A frown began to grow as she stared at the space between her feet and the railing. Even in the bath she didn't reach the end; what she wouldn't give to be six feet tall and built like a brick shithouse. Maybe her class would be higher.

"If I told you some of what was going to happen, would you be able to feed information to Koenma?"

Her words seemed to catch Genkai off guard, for it took a second for them to sink in. Tendrils of smoke lingered in the space between the two women, and despite the sting in her eyes Kazane didn't look away from her guardian's weathered face.

"You want the information diluted and redirected," Genkai said bluntly, and Kazane nodded. After a beat of silence the psychic huffed. "You still haven't told them."

Anger, for the first time since the farce of the tests blew through her veins.

"Yusuke is the only one that doesn't know I've been reborn; I've told Kuwabara and Hiei. Kurama's crafty enough to have figured it out on his own. The only thing I haven't admitted is knowing what we're in stock for, which is why I'm telling you."

Her guardian had connections, that much was obvious. The intel would carry so much more weight coming from someone like her than from a half-demon whose knowledge of the plan would just raise suspicion and distrust. That, and keeping her resurrection a secret from Koenma for as long as possible was her highest priority.

What if they deemed Kazane's existence too unnatural, and struck her from this world? Understandable, but...

"I..." Kazane began, quietly. "I'm not where I wanted to be by now. I need some type of trump card, or reassurance." She curled her arms around her knees, voice muffled as she pressed her lips against the fabric of her leggings. "You made up this test to showcase that we can't brute strength our way through everything, and even if I wanted to do that, I can't. So I want to ensure we have the best advantage."

Amidst the wind rustling, joints popped as Genkai finally stood back up to full height, a sardonic grin on her lips. She didn't turn to Kazane when she finally spoke, though her eyes were warm.

"Well, what a surprise that one of my students has taken my lessons to heart."

With that Genkai turned and made her way back inside the monstrous building, the scent of incense and warm earth trailing behind her, leaving Kazane to wallow once more.

The old woman was smart; it was stupid to think she wouldn't see the motivations behind Kazane's proposition, and how much more likely it was to increase everyone's odds. Now Kazane just had to wrack her brain for any detail that might be useful in what was coming up, and likely help Genkai offer it up to Koenma on a silver platter in a way that garnered no suspicion. It could be done. It would be done. She needed this much, at least.

Even being out on the balcony now was too much, and Kazane inhaled shakily before glancing up towards the tiled roof of the building, subtly trying to gauge its stability. The structure was strange, as was the rest of the house, but without more than a few seconds of pause she slowly began levitating up towards the top. Her feet tested the strength once on the tiling, and after making sure she wasn't going to fall straight through into a room she sat down, her back leaned against the incline near the very top.

It was cold, despite the time of year, and she used all of her willpower to control her teeth from chattering. She wasn't going to light another cigarette; had already well surpassed her daily limit. With every second she felt the unease in her gut grow, now a painful twinge in the pit of her stomach. God, she was a fucking mess. When did she think she was going to have to confront all of this? And why did she just push it out of her mind the entire time? Not to mention all the other bullshit surrounding Yusuke and Kurama.

It was better being out in the cold. No one would have to see how shaken she was.

Kazane pressed her palms against her eyelids harshly until stars appeared in her lack of vision, hoping to forcibly repress whatever staggering emotion was determined to surface.

"You're not built for this weather."

The words were quiet, but at the sound Kazane's head whipped up, stars still in her vision as she looked to see Hiei was beginning to settle down next to her. Half of him was obscured with stars from her nearly gouging her eyes out, but it was him. Her heart immediately increased in tempo, powering over the slight irritation at his words. It wasn't even _that_ cold.

"Never have been," She admitted, clearing her throat. "Wind goes right through me."

He must have found her words funny, for he huffed in amusement, stretching out beside her. Despite his lax position it wasn't hard to see he was still on-edge, still upset. His muscles were tense, and he had hardly looked at her as he made his appearance known.

Kazane tore into her bottom lip with her teeth, looking out into the glimmering city lights. "I'm sorry for not telling you. It's just...Genkai's right. It's a lesson we all need to learn, me included."

There was a long bout of silence before Hiei spoke, wherein Kazane shuffled uncomfortably before deciding to curl up once more to preserve heat.

"I want to know your plans," He said, voice rough and accusatory.

"It wasn't my plan, it-"

"No, I want to know your plans," He repeated, ruby eyes glimmering with emotion. "Kurama was right; your acting skills leave much to be desired. You've been on edge since I mentioned the insects."

He was absolutely right. She had been on edge since then, mostly because it was one of the first indicators that everything was about to go down, and she wasn't keen to delve into this mess so soon after the tournament. Even so she wasn't in the right headspace to even begin to explain everything to him. Not even close.

"Do you trust me?" Kazane asked, slightly disheartened when Hiei paused before nodding minutely. "Then trust me when I say I'll tell you soon. I can't. Not tonight, not after all this mess."

A shudder coursed through her body, and out of the corner of her eye Kazane saw Hiei reluctantly hold open his cloak, not meeting her gaze.

Knowing there wasn't much time to take him up on his offer she scooted closer, with no grace, until her limbs made contact with his side and thigh, every inch of him radiating heat. He was still coiled stiff where he sat, growing even more so as Kazane hesitantly rest her head on the edge of his chest, her legs leaning on his left. They sat there in complete silence for at least an hour, until Kazane's muscles grew lax from exhaustion and the comfort Hiei provided. The overwhelming scent of evergreen and char. He provided comfort without even having to say a word.

Half awake and on the brink of unconsciousness she murmured: "Just worried...'bout you. Everyone. Don't want it taken away."

Hiei looked down at her, taking note of the fact that she really was about to succumb to sleep; the way she subconsciously curled at his shirt with one hand. She always did that, even if it was just the blankets covering her. She wanted a grip on something.

Something to hold onto so she could come back if need be.

He had qualms, and regardless of the quiet rage in his being at everything happening and her involvement, she did reassure him as best she could. It wasn't hard to see that she was scared beyond belief; the incessant tremors in her limbs were as much of a betrayal as any, despite her attempts to hide it with the chill of evening.

He had meant what he said. This whole ridiculous test affected her more than the others by miles, the next in line the detective. She had been off since he spoke at the fire, mentioning the Makai cousin species. Hiei was sure Genkai noticed her mannerisms, too; even more acidic with her words than usual, jumpy as hell to an almost paranoid extent. Eyes constantly hovering over the others in their party, clouded with worry. It was hard not to notice. He had caught the concern upon speaking with the withered psychic on the basis of her night terrors, though no other words were spoken.

"_Just worried...Don't want it taken away."_

Her sleep drunk confession echoed in his brain, subconsciously pressing her closer to his body. Kazane was no longer shivering, and it was clear she was now finally asleep, still he had hesitancy in his veins. She had made it perfectly clear she didn't want someone protecting her, had proven that on more than one occasion. There was potential, if only someone could teach her to utilize her power.

Unbidden, the word 'potential' joined the fray in his mind, spoken from her lips.

Hiei grit his teeth, tongue running over his sharp incisors. He thought of Kazane's, how often she flashed them in an attempt to hold dominance when lashing retorts held no value. How she had flashed them at Toguro with fear in her eyes, before dropping the mask as he chose her for a sacrifice. A solemn acceptance, like she had been prepared for it in the end. Like she had been prepared for it all, just didn't want to believe it.

Then, Kazane held no tremble in her limbs. She stepped forward as easily as if she was meeting Genkai for a spar.

Now it was obvious she was straining at the seams, one more terrible event from a complete collapse.

Hiei internally cursed, closing his eyes in exasperation before moving them to trail over Kazane's form.

Her breaths were even, the lines creasing between her forehead gone. He knew how little she slept during the leadup to the Dark Tournament, had felt her energy in ripples as she frustratedly tried to grasp for sleep.

It took many moments of internal struggle before Hiei called upon his Jagan, closing his eyes and worming his way into her dreamscape as subtly as he dared.

He hated entering dreams; nothing was ever clear-cut or tangible, most everything ephemeral and slipping past faster than able to process. Colors wheeled around him, a cacophony of speech garbling together until every other word was unintelligible. He pressed further, the white noise dissipating slightly as he grew closer to Kazane's subconscious.

The outskirts of the memory (and he found it was indeed a memory, one that must have been well-visited) were blurred and out of focus, but the scene before him was nearly as crisp as his surroundings would have been if he were in reality. Kazane's energy thrummed from a woman seated on a worn, green couch, hands deftly moving through currency in her hands. Her mouth moved as she silently counted, and with a start Hiei found irritation wind up his spine. Everything was wrong.

It was Kazane, but wasn't; instead of fiery red her hair was an inky black, barely reflecting the light from the side lamp. Her skin was a shade darker, and free from any blemish or scar. There was no muscle packed onto her frame, though it was only an inch or two taller than the form he was familiar with, and instead of well-manicured, long fingernails they were clipped meticulously short on the left, not a sign of color. The clothing was similar to what she usually wore, though not as tight fitting, and the back sank down just enough to reveal a myriad of tattoos.

His first thought was that this was an imposter, but he shook it off quickly. It was her signature, albeit watered down to an almost ridiculous degree, and the way she sat was identical to what he knew.

A rustle of movement from the doorway caught his attention, and he watched as a strand of hair fell across her face as she looked up. Out of the darkness came a boy, young, ashy hair disheveled and a shirt on backwards. From the shared recesses of Kazane's mind Hiei felt emotion reverberate as her unfamiliar face drew into a smile.

"Milo, you should be asleep." The voice coming out of her mouth was the same; soprano, bell-like. Even as a stranger Hiei could hear the soft admonition in it, still fond.

A large yawn elicited from the boy, and he rubbed the sleep out of his eye with a thick fist.

"I had a bad dream."

A hum reached Hiei's ears, and he glanced over to see Prior-Kazane pat the space next to her on the cushion, holding out an arm. Milo obliged immediately, curling into her side like a cat.

It was sickeningly domestic, and felt like an intrusion, yet he couldn't stop watching. The previous time he had invaded Kazane's dreamscape had been much the same, but there was a sense of desperation underneath this memory, more so than the other. Already some portions were beginning to fray and crack at the edges, unimportant details getting lost in the event. The titles on bookshelves were wiped clean, the color of the curtains indiscernible. Still, despite the loss, the immaculate detail surrounding where the two sat on the couch never wavered.

Hiei grit his jaw. She must have relived this a hundred times over in her mind, awake or not.

Prior-Kazane spoke, asking the boy to tell her about the dream, and he obliged easily enough, a sigh escaping his red-stained lips. There were dots of red on his shirt as well, must have been from a beverage of some sort.

"We were all in that Scooby-Doo movie you made us watch, and that blue guy took you and mom away. Allan and I were running but we couldn't catch up." There was a small, ashamed pause before he continued. "He didn't wanna wake up when I tried to tell him."

Hiei watched as Kazane stifled a chuckle, choosing instead to draw him closer. Subtly her foot pushed a messenger bag under the coffee table, and for the first time since arriving in the dreamscape he caught the pungent smell of something earthy emanating from it. Another stealthy readjustment over her body caused the boy's view of the table to be obscured, and Hiei looked over the discolored wood to find orange containers filled with pills, the labels messily torn off. He initially wrote off the large sum of currency on the table, the metal scale sat between everything. Now it seemed too glaring to ignore.

"You know, I watched that movie when I was your age and it gave me nightmares, too," Kazane said, and immediately Milo's hazel eyes widened in surprise.

"Nuh-uh."

"Yeah-huh."

"You're old." He said it simply, no malice to it, and a jumble of emotions followed after from Kazane.

Hiei could feel it; the original surge of warmth residing in the memory, now it was tinged with longing and pain. If she had truly lived two lifetimes, then in retrospect the boy's words hit to her core.

A lighthearted chuckle escaped her lips, and Kazane pressed her cheek to his unkempt hair. The underlying emotions surged once more, and Hiei could feel the want to cling as tightly as possible in his bones, though this wasn't his memory. Dreams rarely involved scent and never pain, but with his senses shared with Kazane he could smell colored wax, dirt, and a hint of lavender coming off the boy. The tightness in her chest, and by association his, was almost so tight he couldn't inhale fully.

The sound of a door unlocking brought everyone out of their respective thoughts, and the boy in Kazane's arms immediately leapt up to dart towards the entrance. Hiei watched as Kazane's eyes (unfamiliar, wrong, _brown_) flickered over to the person entering, and once they were inside the building they melted into a warmth that made Hiei burn.

He withdrew from Kazane's subconscious, almost forgetting to will her to dreamlessness as was his original intent. He had become distracted. As she pressed even more of her weight onto him, any residual stiffness gone in an instant from his actions, he grew increasingly more aware of how out of place he felt. Without even realizing it he started comparing himself to the woman in the doorway.

Ridiculous. She was gone, no doubt twice as old as Kazane's current body, and weathered with time. From their dialect and the furnishings it was clear her memory was from another country at the very least. Probably another time.

The Kazane next to him now was what he was familiar with; red hair, even shorter stature than him, and creamy skin poking out from long, fitted clothing to hide her scars. Her energy was miles more noticeable, even dormant while she slept, and he could feel the familiar hum similar to his Dragon in her veins.

She was finally asleep and he had no reason to stay out on the rooftop at her side, and so Hiei gently gathered her up in his arms, trying not to focus on what he had just seen. He failed spectacularly. Lavender; the same overwhelming scent her brother carried with him. Her attentiveness to the others in the party made sense now, piecing everything together. A maternal figure. Her adept skill for cooking. He could just picture her singing lullabies to babies in their crib.

The interior of the mansion was silent, save for wind lazily whipping from the balcony he entered from. Against one wall sat the detective, his mouth opening wildly as he snored, and Hiei tried to dispel the sight of the boy -Milo- yawning wildly from his mind. The only other person in the room was the oaf, and Hiei rolled his eyes at the sight of a hand poking under the waistband of his pants, tips barely obscured as mild sweat lingered on his skin.

Hiei stepped forward silently, setting Kazane gently down next to Yusuke's relatively prone form. Every nerve in his body danced with anxiety and shame, and he stole one last glance at her before disappearing, closing the balcony door behind him.

"_I don't care."_

Her words echoed in his mind, and he tried to outrun them, putting a distance between the mansion and himself until he came to a fringe of trees huddled together, out of sight. She said she didn't care about his past, what he'd done, and everything she demonstrated illustrated that she truly didn't. Despite that something dark and cool pressed its way into his chest.

Hiei stole a glance up at the full moon before taking a seat on the bark, resigning himself to a night with little sleep and many thoughts.

* * *

**Note:**

**I am _so_ sorry with how long this took.**

**I had to drive pretty much across the country to attend a funeral and it didn't leave me a lot of time to get this out or edit it as much as I'd like. This was originally going to be a bit shorter but considering how long I made y'all wait I decided to expand it a bit.**

**I feel like there's been a whole lot of vague details concerning Kazane's previous life, and so I put a little tangent in here so that some aspects of her personality are more out in the open, and hopefully make more sense. How do y'all predict Hiei will react to seeing this dream/memory? He was definitely shaken at the end.**

**In other news since I didn't have much going on while I was driving I went down the rabbit hole that is Mystic Messenger, and spent way too much money trying to talk to the absolute best boy that is Seven. If anyone else has played it DM me; I need someone to gush with and exchange memes.**

**Thanks to those sticking around despite how shit I am at updating consistently. Love and Honey Butter Chips to: Vienna22, calypsofear, James1996, and FaeGhostRider for the reviews.**

**FaeGhostRider - I genuinely wasn't even thinking in innuendo when I wrote it but your comment made me cackle, haha.**

**Title credit goes to I Want to Know Your Plans by Say Anything.**


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